Do Something, Do It Stupid
by codegeassfan123
Summary: Everyone knows about the Britannian Imperial Family, even Lady Marianne's deceased children have their place in history. Yet everyone often forgets about the one prince that left Pendragon 7 and a 1/2 years ago, and that's the Dimwitted Prince, Joseph Du Britannia. Now that he's crossed paths with his brother on a highway in Area 11, there's no telling what adventures might ensue.
1. Today's Going To Be A Great Day!

_Area 11 – Highway_

The air was nice and crisp that morning, it was so nice that Joseph decided to take a deep breath in of it all. He spread his arm outs to make sure the sunlight engulfs his entire being as he closes his eyes and a long smile forms on his face. He blissfully walks on the ledge of the highway leading to the vast city that is Tokyo and does a quick spin in 360-degree fashion, kicking his leg out while doing so. He could have walked on the sidewalk like any other person, but this was a lot more fun.

"_Yep, today's going to be a good day." _Joseph thought to himself.

Sure there was a ghetto a few miles away that had innocent people suffering, and he didn't have much of a breakfast either, but Joseph wasn't going to let that be a downer. After all, he could have some bark later if needed. What mattered is that he had his health, his coat, and most importantly…

His music.

He grabs his Walkman from the belt sleeve of his pants and opens the slot, there's a tape in there labeled "_Spring Tunes Vol. 22"_. He decides to put the tape back in his collection for now and save the rest of it for a later time if the situation called for it, right now he needed something to go along with his one favorite activities. Walking.

Therefore, he quickly got his tape that was labeled _"Walking Music"_. He examined the cassette to make sure it was rewound all the way to the beginning, he was glad to see he remembered to do so and inserted it into the slot of the Walkman. He was about to press the play button when he heard the faint sound of an engine coming in his direction, he turned his head and saw it was a blue motorbike. As it got closer, he could see the bike carried two occupants, one who was driving and one who was riding in a sidecar.

"_Oop, I wonder if these guys will throw anything at me?"_ Joseph thought curiously to himself.

It was an occasion that happened a few times before. Not that it bothered him, it was just something he noticed time to time.

As the motorbike got closer, he was starting to get a good look at the driver and his passenger. The driver looked to be 16 or 17, had a tan complexion, and blue hair sticking out of his helmet. He was giving Joseph a very confused look, one that he has gotten from many people over the years, it was a look that Joseph liked to call…

The WTF face.

However, what really caught Joseph's attention was the passenger in the motorbike. He had a slender build, pale complexion, smooth black hair sticking out of his helmet, and looked to be at least 17 years old. Joseph and the passenger both locked eyes with each other, and even though he had sun visors on…

Joseph could see the purple irises that filled around the passenger's pupils.

Their eye contact was only momentarily, but it was enough to spark a recognition in both of them.

As the motorbike drove past, there was one thought that was coursing through Joseph's head:

"_Lelouch…?"_

It was at that moment Joseph heard another engine sound coming in his direction, and he could see it was a large truck.

* * *

"_Was that…?"_ That was the thought that was coursing through Lelouch's head after he locked eyes with that man.

Rivalz on the other hand, was voicing his thoughts out loud.

"Jeez, talk about dangerous. Does that guy have a death wish or something walking on the ledge like that? Guess being so close to the ghettos, you're bound to spot a nut here and there. Right, Lelouch?"

Rivalz looks down and sees that Lelouch is still pondering and probably didn't hear him.

"Uh, Lelouch?" Rivalz said speaking a little louder this time, which got Lelouch's attention.

"Is everything okay?" He asked this time with confusion.

Lelouch blinked at him and realized he let his mind drift.

"Uh yeah, sorry. It's just, that man looked familiar is all."

"Huh?" Rivalz asked, now more curious about the whole matter.

But before they could continue the conversation, they heard a loud honking behind them and saw a large truck zooming in their way.

* * *

"_Ah man, they drove down a hill. How am I supposed to see if that was Lelouch or not!?"_ Joseph grumpily thought to himself.

He knew he had to jump onto the truck if he wanted to catch up with the motorbike, but he didn't think it would completely go in a completely different direction. Thankfully he didn't slide off the top and just fell into the cargo hold they had. But now he had to get out of here if he wanted to make his confirmation, he looked up and could see the opening was a few feet higher than him.

"_No problameo."_ Joseph thought determinedly to himself.

He was about to jump when he heard a voice outside.

"Hey! Are you all right?!"

While the voice sounded older, it had the same speech pattern that Joseph heard all those years ago. He heard the figure climbing up the truck.

"Can you hear me? Are you ok?"

His head popped over the opening of the cargo hold and Joseph was able to get a good look at his face.

There was no doubt about it, it was definitely him. A smile crept on his face when all of a sudden he felt a small stinging in the side of his head. It wasn't painful, but it was annoying.

"Are you in there?"

Joseph was about to say something when the truck decided to move again, and the figure fell inside.

…

"Stop! I'm in here!" Lelouch yelled out. He groans a bit as he rubs his sore bottom.

"_Ouch, not one of my finer landings"_ Lelouch thought to himself as he got up and looked around.

"You think they would stick a ladder on the inside too?!"

But before he could ponder more, his nose caught onto scent that he wish hadn't. He blanched and covered his nose.

"_Oh my god, did something die in here!?"_ Lelouch thought to himself.

"Lelouch?" A voice asked as it halted Lelouch's thinking process.

He turned around and saw where the scent was coming from and it appeared to be some homeless man staring at him wide-eyed. Lelouch eyes widen in seeing that it was same man who he saw on the highway. How did this person know who he was? Had they met before? While he looked vaguely familiar, he couldn't decipher where he had seen him prior to this day. There was no certain words Lelouch could think of except one.

"Uh…"

"LELOUCH!" The homeless man exclaimed.

He rushed into Lelouch and pulled him into death gripping hug, and considering the slender build he had, it was definitely painful and suffocating, and the stench didn't help either.

"Please let go. Can't breathe." Lelouch said in a strangled whisper.

The man did so, letting Lelouch inhale some air, and allowed some space between them but still in his grip.

"Hey! Long time!" The man exclaimed while shaking Lelouch with a big smile on his face.

Lelouch, getting a little motion sick from all the shaking, got out of the man's grip and backed up a couple of feet away, now a bit freaked out and more confused than ever.

"Okay! Look, I-I'm sorry, but…who are you?"

The man was now confused.

"Lelouch? Me, Joseph." The man said as he waved his hands towards himself with a small smile.

"Wha..?" Lelouch said as he examined the homeless man more thoroughly.

The man had long, reddish-brown, messy hair that reached down to his neck and a beard that was a couple inches long. He had a shirt and pants on that looked way past worn, and shoes that had holes and tears in them.

But what really caught Lelouch's eye was the long, black overcoat the man was wearing over his shirt. It looked worn and had a few patches in it and a little too big for the man's size, but Lelouch could have sworn he'd seen that coat somewhere before. And it was then he saw the device on the man's pants that made his eyes widen.

It was a 1986 Sony Walkman.

Though it had some dirt on it, Lelouch could recognize the rectangular box with its gray coating and black buttons. Along with the sticker of a cartoon turtle it had on it.

Lelouch knew only one person who had that particular music listening device with that particular sticker on it. He looked up at the man with surprise and recognition.

"Joseph?"

The man smiled wider and waved at Lelouch.

"Hey, little brother."

_To be continued…_

**This is my first fanfiction, thank you so much for reading it. This is an idea I've had in my head for awhile now and I'm finally putting it onto paper. For the look of Joseph, imagine how Hugh Jackman looked at the beginning of The Wolverine (2013) along with the overcoat Keanu Reeves wore during the third act of The Matrix. Hope to have another chapter out soon, feel free to comment and share your thoughts.**


	2. Unexpected Reunions!

_Area 11 - Shinjuku Ghetto_

Lelouch couldn't believe it.

After all these years of hiding, his older half-brother by four years happens to cross paths with him by pure coincidence. Not only that, but the same brother who left Pendragon six months prior to him and Nunnally. Nothing of his whereabouts were ever known, as people were quick to happily forget the "Dimwitted Prince" (as some nobles liked to call him when he and his mother weren't around.) But yet here he was, with the same giddy attitude he kept intact all these years later.

"_Either fate has a twisted sense of humor, or I'm having the worse luck today." _Lelouch thought to himself.

But he pushed that thought aside as he slowly approached Joseph.

"Is it really you?" Lelouch asked cautiously.

The smile didn't leave Joseph's face as he came up to a surprised Lelouch and pulled him into a gentler but still tight embrace.

"Yep-per-rooni." Joseph said with glee. Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle.

"_Yep, it's definitely him."_ Only Joseph would use vocabulary like that.

Joseph released him from the hug and they looked at each other, with Joseph it was happiness but with Lelouch it was just confusion. He often wondered what became of Joseph after he left Aries Villa and while he didn't expect a reunion with his brother, he didn't think he would look like this either.

Based on his appearance alone, he hasn't been living in a household for months, maybe even years. His teeth were yellow and crooked and he was most **definitely** in need of a bath.

What shocked Lelouch the most though was the fact that the pinkie on his left hand looked like it had been cut halfway off.

Had it not been for his memories of Joseph, Lelouch most likely would have casted him off as some crazy bum living in the ghettos.

"Joseph, what happened to you?" Lelouch asked as it was the only real question he could think of asking him.

And Joseph opened his mouth to provide that answer, but a loud voice from an intercom decided to not let him have the chance.

"_Stop the vehicle! Surrender now and you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court!" "Stop and surrender at once!"_ The voice from the intercom yelled, they then both heard bullets being fired at the truck.

"Damn it, this truck must be owned by terrorists!" Lelouch seethed.

"Ruh-roh." Was all Joseph responded with as he looked around.

"If we jump out, we have the choice of getting shot or breaking-"Lelouch stopped mid sentence as he realized something.

"Wait, how did you get in this truck anyway?" Lelouch asked Joseph, as he found it unlikely the truck would have stopped for him. The answer, was not one he was expecting.

"Jumped." Joseph simply said with a dopey smile.

Lelouch stared at him blankly.

"You what?" Lelouch asked, as he wasn't sure he heard him correctly.

"Jumped." Joseph said again with the same smile.

He then illustrated the situation with his hands. Using one hand to represent himself and the other to represent the truck(while also making a truck sound with his mouth), he shows Lelouch that he jumped(making a jumping sound for that too) onto the truck with ease.

Lelouch was now completely dumbfounded. (A WTF look from Joseph's perspective)

"How-" He didn't get to finish his question as he heard the sound of the door on the wall starting to opening. He pulled Joseph over to the side to hide, and saw a girl with red hair walk through the door, taking off her coat. She looked to be the same age as him. He and Joseph looked at her with curiosity.

"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu route?" The girl asked to driver.

"Kallen, let's use it here, why not?" The driver yelled back.

"Because that would mean a bloodbath!" The girl, whose name apparently was Kallen, exclaimed back to the driver.

"You-You're right…" The driver said back to her.

As Kallen climbed the ladder to the object covered by a tarp, Lelouch was studying her.

"_I've seen her before."_ Lelouch thought to himself when all of a sudden Joseph popped in front of his.

"Who that?" Joseph asked with curiosity.

Lelouch quickly pulled Joseph's head back into hiding.

"Be quiet!" Lelouch quickly whispered while making a shushing gesture.

"Sorry." Joseph whispered back with an awkward smile.

…

"Huh?"

Kallen turned her head back towards the cargo room, as she thought she heard something. Before she could investigate more, she could hear the sounds of helicopters getting closer. She decided to ponder about it later and took off the tarp, revealing it to be a Glasgow knightmare.

…

"_Hey! It's a knightmare. Awesome! I haven't seen one of those in action for months!"_ Joseph thought to himself as his eyes brighten up with glee.

As the red hair girl named Kallen took the knightmare out to fight what appeared to be other knightmares, Joseph couldn't help but smile nice and wide.

"_I wonder if these ones will finally fight like the transformers do on television_._" _He thought excitedly to himself.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to find out because as soon as she exited the truck, the door closed again.

"_Ah man…"_ Joseph pouted to himself. He was really hoping to see some action.

He then heard another voice coming from the intercom.

"_The rest of you back off, I'll take this guy. An over-the-hill Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland!"_

Joseph recognized that voice, it was Jeremiah Gottwald.

"_Oh hey, Jerry's here too! I should say hi to him when I get the chance."_

Joseph always liked Jerry, he was cool guy who always made sure he showed his loyalty to the ones he cared about.

"_Hey, maybe I can look through the opening on top to see what's going on!" _Joseph thought to himself gleefully.

Suddenly the room got darker and the battle of machines was getting quieter.

"_Damn it, must have gone through a tunnel."_ As Joseph pouted again, he turned and saw Lelouch looking at his phone.

…

"_No cell phone reception, and judging by the darkness and road surfaces they're driving along the old subway lines. They must be looking for an exit in the ghettos, which means getting out of here will be dangerous for us." _Lelouch thought meticulously as he was trying to formulate a plan. _"I could always trade a terrorist communicator for protection from the military." _

Lelouch then looked up and saw Joseph approaching him.

"_But if I bring Joseph with me, they'll likely shoot him on the spot for just his appearance alone. Not to mention he could accidently reveal my past without even realizing it. I can't just abandon him either, he looks like he's already been through hell and back."_

He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, he didn't want to leave his half-brother, but couldn't risk getting exposed either. Before he could think more about it, Joseph kneeled down in front of him with the same dopey smile as before.

"So, how been?" Joseph asked him with curiosity and mild excitement. Lelouch's eyebrow arched up.

"What?" Was all Lelouch could asked to such a random question.

"You. Life. How been? Little sis Nunnally, how she? Lady Marianne?" Joseph asked again with a bigger smile and more excitement.

Lelouch blinked at him.

"_Does he really not know?" _

Considering the situation they were in right now, he decided to brush the question off.

"Uh, I don't think now is the right time to catch up Joseph." This made Joseph tilt his head in confusion.

"Why not." Joseph asked, which caused Lelouch eyebrow to twitch.

"Were in a life or death situation, remember?" Lelouch reminded him.

Joseph then perked his head up in realization.

"Oh yeahhhhh."

Lelouch just gave a deadpan look in return.

"_Still absentminded as ever I see."_

Their conversation grew to a sudden halt when they both felt the truck hit something, sending Joseph crashing into the the circular device that was next to them. Lelouch went over to check on him, not realizing that the machine just went into "unlock" mode.

"Are you alright?!" He asked with concern.

Joseph just gave him a wide smile and a "ok" gesture with his fingers and pronounced happily.

"A-OK!"

Lelouch couldn't help but smile at that. Joseph was like Nunnally in some ways, no matter what the situation was, he always maintained that positive attitude of his.

Well almost any situation.

Lelouch thought back to Lady Rebecca, Auntie Becky as she liked to be called by him and Nunnally. Sadness roamed his mind before realizing that he needed to focus.

"Here, let's climb up this and escape."

"Okey-dokey." Joseph responded.

As Lelouch was about to climb up the circular device, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching at a fast rate. He turned and saw a soldier performing a spin kick at him, he closed his eyes and covered his face in preparation for the oncoming pain.

Except it didn't.

He opened his eyes and saw that the soldier's leg was being blocked by Joseph, he had a serious look on his face and pushed the soldier away from them. Lelouch looked at his half-brother with shock and confusion.

"_He blocked that soldier's kick? But…how…?"_

…

"That's enough mindless murder you two!" The masked man, who Joseph was assuming was a soldier, yelled at them.

Joseph didn't know what this guy's problem was, but he would make sure he would protect Lelouch. After all, he was his little brother, and his Mom said that protecting the ones he loved was always important, and he wasn't going to disrespect Mom's advice now.

"Leave alone, jerk!" Joseph yelled at the soldier.

"Don't play dumb with me! You were planning on using the poisonous gas!" The soldier yelled at them once again.

Joseph didn't know what gas he was talking about, and he was about to retort when Lelouch decided to intervene.

"We're not here by choice, Britannian soldier! And if that is poisonous gas, it was made by Britannia wasn't it!" Lelouch exclaimed.

The soldier gasp and started to look at Lelouch with recognition.

"It can't be…"

Joseph was now confused.

"_Does this guy know Lelouch or something?" _

Lelouch walked a few steps closer but still stayed behind Joseph.

"If you don't want more deaths, then just obliterate Britannia!" Lelouch exclaimed.

Joseph raised his eyebrows in surprise, this was a demeanor he's never seen of Lelouch before. Of course, they haven't seen each other in awhile, and he is aware how many assholes there are in the Britannian army. Still, to hear his little brother say it with such venom was definitely unexpected. Before he could think about it more, the soldier spoke up again, this time with a softer tone.

"Lelouch, it's me. Suzaku."

The soldier took off his helmet to reveal a Japanese teenager with brown curly hair and green eyes, he had a small soft smile on his face as he looked at Lelouch.

And it just so happened that Joseph knew this young Japanese fellow as well.

"_Suzaku?"_

…

Suzaku couldn't believe it.

After all these years, he finally reunites with the childhood friend he made back at the Kururugi Shrine. Though it was circumstances he found unexpected and certainly didn't want. He then noticed the homeless-looking man who was next to Lelouch, giving Suzaku a wide smile for some reason. Though for some reason the man seemed familiar to him.

"You-you became a Britannian soldier?" Lelouch asked in confusion. Suzaku turned his attention back to him.

"Uh, yeah. But what about you? You're a-"

"SUZAKU!"

Suzaku was suddenly ambushed into a tight embrace by the mysterious man. His nose started to catch the scent that was coming from man and it made Suzaku blanch. He couldn't really say anything about it at the moment though considering the embrace was crushing his lungs, eventually the man let go and he was able to finally breathe.

"Long time, no bee man! Still training!?" The man asked with a surprising amount of glee and held his hand up in a fighting stance.

Suzaku looked at the man with confusion, as this was an encounter he definitely was **not** expecting.

"I'm…sorry, do I know you?"

The man just gave him a look that said, "Really?"

"Uh…yeeaahh. Me! Joseph! Training partner! Nickname: Lunkhead!" The man exclaimed and proceeded to knock his fist into his own head as if to express how hard it is.

"Lunkhead?" Was all Suzaku could ask he took a closer look at the man.

The features of the man's face sparked recognition in Suzaku, and he knew only one person that he referred to by that nickname.

The same person who trained with him under Kyoshiro Tohdoh during his one month stay at the Kururugi Shrine when Suzaku was eight years old and the person was 12.

"Joseph? What are you doing here?!" Suzaku asked with widen eyes.

"Hanging with little bro." Joseph happily responded as he gestured towards a confused Lelouch.

"You two know each other?" Lelouch asked.

"Uh yeah. His mother had Todoh...wait, little bro?"

Suzaku looked at Joseph, then at Lelouch, then at Joseph again.

"You two are related?!"

Before either Joseph or Lelouch could respond, a sudden flash of light came out of the poison gas container.

"What the?" Lelouch asked looking at the container

Suzaku eyes widen in feat.

"_Lelouch, Joseph!"_

…

Joseph was surprised by the sudden push to the ground Suzaku did.

"Quick Joseph! Cover your mouth and nose!" Suzaku screamed as he placed his mask over Lelouch's mouth and nose.

But before he could do so, the container opened, revealing what looked like to be a woman with long green hair.

"_Aww, she's pretty, like Mom…"_ Joseph thought as he got up and looked at the woman with a gentle smile.

"It's not poison gas?" Suzaku asked from behind him.

Joseph approached the woman, she appeared to be in some restraints along with her mouth being covered. It looked like she was about to fall to the ground, so Joseph made sure to catch her.

As his Mom once told him, a man must be a gentleman towards a lady when needed and deserved.

…

He started untying her restraints as he heard Lelouch and Suzaku talking in the background, not that he was really listening to what they were saying. Right now, Joseph's attention was on helping this woman.

She slowly started to open her eyes and looked at him, which he gave a gentle smile in return.

"Hi." Joseph cheerfully said as he gave a small wave to her with his missing pinkie hand.

The woman just blinked at him and closed her eyes again, suddenly a row of lights was shined on them. Joseph turned to see there was a group of men standing in front of the lights with guns.

"Stinking monkey!" The man who was at the center of these men, exclaimed.

"Hey! No tree swinging since two years, thank you!"Joseph said angrily.

While the armed men looked at him with the WTF face, the man in the center chose to ignore him.

"Being an Honorary Britannian will not excuse you."

"_Oh, he meant Suzaku…well, it's still rude!" _Joseph thought as he looked at the man with anger. Suzaku approached the man.

"But sir, I was told it was poison gas."

"How dare you question orders!"

"Hey, lay off!" Joseph exclaimed as he started to approach the man to teach him a lesson.

"Joseph, don't!" Lelouch whispered. "It's too dangerous."

Joseph was about to retort when he heard the man speak up again.

"However, in light of outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient."

The man reached into the back of his pocket, took out a gun, and offered it to Suzaku.

"Private Kururugi. Take this, and execute these terrorists!"

This surprised the group, and Joseph immediately stood in front of Lelouch to protect him.

"Won't hurt brother!" Joseph exclaimed. Lelouch looked at him in surprise.

"Joseph…" Lelouch quietly said.

"But they aren't terrorists, they're just civilians who got caught up in all of this." Suzaku tried to plead. Joseph could see that was not the answer the man wanted.

"You insolent little…that's an order! Didn't you swear your loyalty and life to Britannia!?"

"Y-Yes, but…I'm sorry, I can't do it. I can't follow your order." Suzaku said to the man as he turned around and looked at Lelouch and Joseph with a sad smile.

"_Suzaku, you really are a good friend."_ Joseph thought as he returned the smile to Suzaku. But his thoughts were shattered when he heard the gun go off and saw Suzaku fall to the ground.

"SUZAKU!" Both Joseph and Lelouch exclaimed.

"Well, it looks like your day has gone from bad to worse." The man sneered at them.

"_It actually started out as a good day, you jerk!"_ Joseph thought angrily as he pushed Lelouch further behind him.

He looked at Suzaku, it didn't look like there was any blood coming out of him, so there was a chance he was still alive. He gave a breath of relief to this.

"Men, collect the girl, after you secure her, kill the student and the bum!" The man said to the soldiers.

This put Joseph back in protection mode.

"Yes! My lord!" The soldiers responded back as they started to approach Joseph, Lelouch, and the woman.

"_I'm not letting my little brother die like this! I just have to wait until they get close enough, then I can make my move." _Joseph thought as he cracked his knuckle.

However, Joseph never got to carry out his plan. For the truck exploded just a second later.

…

Lelouch was in a waking nightmare.

Suzaku, his childhood friend, was killed right in front of him, and all he could do now was run away. Joseph was in front of him, carrying the woman in his arms. They stopped for a moment to catch their breaths, well, his breath anyway, Joseph didn't even look like he broke a sweat. But Lelouch didn't care about that as he was looking angrily at the woman.

"What the hell are you! This chaos is your fault isn't it!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"Hey, chill out bro." Joseph said to him.

"'Chill out? They killed Suzaku!" Lelouch retorted.

"Don't know that! Single gunshot, people survive worse" Joseph retorted back to him. All Lelouch could do was scoff.

Joseph then turned his head towards the woman in his arms.

"Hello,(points to himself) Joseph Du Britannia. How are you?" Joseph greeted her with a friendly manner.

Lelouch just stared at him as he couldn't believe he was actually trying to get to know someone while they were literally being hunted down!

Joseph untightened the mouth restraint around her.

"There we go." Joseph said with happy casualness, as if he got done with one of his house chores for the day.

The woman was about to speak when they heard some gunfire in the distance up some stairs. Joseph put the woman down next to Lelouch.

"Stay hidden." Joseph whispered to them.

He went to go see what was going on.

…

Joseph cautiously peeked his head up the stairs and saw a man get shot to death.

It's not that it didn't make him sad, he was just used to seeing this kind of thing is all. He looked to see the same soldiers from earlier, along with the man who shot Suzaku. Joseph looked at him angrily.

"Report." The man ordered.

"Just eleven sirs." One of the soldiers responded.

"You're sure of it? That exit comes out here?"

While the soldier was responding to the man. Joseph saw a small girl, who looked no older than five and had blood stains on her, stand up and start to cry. The soldiers noticed her and were about to shoot her.

"_OH HELL NO!" _Joseph thought frantically. He may have grown immune to seeing innocent people dying, but there was no way he was letting a little girl die on his watch.

He pushed his legs forward with all his might and dove towards the girl.

He grabbed her into an embrace as the bullets flew past them, he rolled onto the ground before finally landing on his feet, all while making sure the girl was protected.

"What the?! It's the bum from before!" One of the soldiers said as he aimed his gun towards Joseph.

Joseph quickly jumped up high towards the wall to dodge the bullets, and then pushed his feet back against the wall to exit through the hole that was there. He was going to make sure he a got a good distance away from the soldiers and get the little girl to safety.

After that, he planned on being a distraction for said soldiers so Lelouch could escape if needed. But suddenly, he could hear the sound of a cell phone ringing, and Joseph could see that now had the soldier's attention.

"Lelouch…" Joseph quietly said to himself.

He looked at the girl who had a scared look in her eyes and set her down.

"Find safe place, 'kay?" Joseph said to the girl in Japanese with a reassuring smile.

This made the girl a little less afraid and nodded her head. She said "Arigato" to Joseph and quickly made her way out of there.

Joseph didn't like the idea of the leaving the girl to fend for herself, but he couldn't just leave his brother with those soldiers either. He went back inside, and his eyes widen in seeing that he was too late.

The soldiers had Lelouch and the woman in their grasp, the soldiers saw that he came back and quickly aimed their guns on him. Joseph got into the fighting stance, ready to take on these soldiers who have his brother.

All of a sudden, the man who shot Suzaku grabbed Lelouch and pointed a gun at his temple. This caused Joseph to freeze.

"Don't move! Unless you want your 'brother' to join the pile of elevens over there!"

Joseph gritted his teeth.

"Just try retaliating. He'll be dead before you know it." The man sneered at him as he brought the gun closer to Lelouch's head

Joseph knew he was right, no matter what angle he came at it, he wouldn't be able to save him in time. He relaxed back into a standing position and put his hands in the air.

"Good. Now go back against the wall, no sudden moves!" The man ordered as he kept his gun on Lelouch.

Joseph did so whole the man made sure to keep his distance. When he reached the wall, the man pushed Lelouch towards Joseph.

Joseph looked him over to make sure he was alright.

"Sorry, little brother…" Joseph said shamefully.

Lelouch just looked at him sadly. The man looked at them evilly.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed that a Britannian student and a dirty bum such as yourselves were able to avoid us as long as you did. Unfortunately…"

He took his gun out, and aimed it at them. Joseph made sure to step in front of Lelouch.

"Your future stops here." The man squeezed the trigger.

Suddenly, the green-haired woman moved in front of them.

"He musn't die!"

Those were the girl's last words as she took a bullet in the head.

"You shot her!" Lelouch exclaimed.

Joseph made sure to catch her and set her down gently on the ground, he looked at the man in anger.

"You asshole!" Joseph exclaimed. The man just chuckled.

"Our orders were to bring her back alive if possible. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll simply tell our superiors that we found the terrorist's hideout and killed them all. However, the female was already tortured by the time we arrived. How does that sound to the two of you?" The man with a smirk.

…

Lelouch stared at the ground below his knees as he trembled with fear. His hand shaking right next to woman's hand.

"_How can this be happening? First Suzaku's killed, then this girl. And very soon, me and my own brother as well, who I didn't even get the chance to properly reunite with. I didn't get a chance to do anything, it's all just gone in heartbeat! Nunnally!" _

Suddenly, Lelouch felt a hand grab his wrist.

…

Joseph was not going to let it end like this. This woman, even though they just met, sacrificed her life for them, so they could live. He was not going to let her death be in vain, No Sir! He quickly looked around and noticed a hole in the ceiling.

"_Bingo!"_ Joseph thought to himself excitedly.

As soon as the soldiers were prepared to fire, he would grab Lelouch, jump through the ceiling and make their escape. He just had to make sure he timed it right…

"Tell me something?"

Joseph peeked his head around and saw his brother begin to stand up with his hand covering his left eye, a serious expression plastered on his face.

"How should a Britannian who detests his own country live his life?" Lelouch asked the soldiers.

"_Lelouch?" _Joseph was confused by his brother's sudden change in demeanor again.

"What are you? Some kind of radical?" The man asked.

"What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent is, as you put it, just a Britannian student and a dirty bum. Or have you finally realized? That the ones who should kill are the ones who are prepared to be killed." Lelouch exclaimed as he uncovered his eye and revealed it to be red and glowing.

"_What on Earth through the planet Mars is that?!" _Joseph asked himself as his eyes widen in shock.

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you, all of you…Die." Lelouch said with venom in his voice.

Joseph quickly turned to look back at soldiers, and surprisingly, the man started to chuckle in a deranged manner.

"Happily, your highness!" The man exclaimed as he and the soldiers pointed their guns at their own necks. The man shouted, "FIRE!", and they did just that. Everyone one of them now dead.

Joseph couldn't believe it. He's seen a lot of things in his lifetime, but nothing like this. He turned back around to look at Lelouch, who at first was shocked just like him. But then that expression turned into one of dark glee as a smile formed on his face.

"Well then…" Lelouch quietly said.

It was at that moment, one thought coursed through Joseph's head.

"_Holy shit, is my little brother a superhero?"_

_To be continued…_

**And that ends chapter 2. First off, yes, I am aware Joseph was looking right at Lelouch when he gave the geass order for those men to "Die", this will be brought up in the next chapter. Second, the concept for this was basically, what would happen if there was a character like Luffy from One Piece or Goku from Dragon Ball Z (the abridged version) that existed in this world and how would he affect the characters around him? Chance the Gardener from the film, Being There, was also an inspiration. I know Code Geass is semi-based in reality (emphasis on "Semi") so I thought it would be interesting to create this extravagant, optimistic, high-energy, larger-than-life character and place him in the world that is Code Geass. Please let me know what you think and hope you stay tune for more.**


	3. A Superhero Name!

Lelouch starred down at the green-haired woman's body.

"_I don't understand what it is you wanted me to do. Why did you give me this bizarre power?_

"Lelouch?"

Joseph's voice halted Lelouch's thinking process as he turned to look at Joseph. He forgot that he just witnessed him command all those soldiers to kill themselves, he was sure how he was going to react.

"Joe…"

Joseph stared at him a couple of seconds before breaking out into a huge grin.

"Bro! You superhero!?" Joseph exclaimed with glee and excitement.

Lelouch mentally sighed.

"_Of course that would be his response…"_

"I'm not a superhero, Joseph."

That didn't seem to deter Joseph though.

"Come on bro. Professor X shit! Be no denying!" Joseph said in cheeky excitement

"But I-"

"So superpowers, get them when? Our secret, scout honor." Joseph said as he did a "Scout's honor" gesture.

Lelouch just sighed, as he realized arguing with him would lead to no avail.

"Honestly, just now. That woman gave them to me right before she died."

Joseph turned to look at the woman and his expression of excitement turned into one of sadness. He kneeled down and took the woman's body into his arms.

"What are you doing?" Lelouch asked surprise.

"Saved us. Deserves burial." Joseph said in a serious tone.

While Lelouch was surprised how Joseph's demeanor went from excited to serious in a second, taking that woman's body with them would just be an unneeded obstacle, and he was about to argue this when he heard a crash come through the opening of the hideout. It was a knightmare, a Sutherland to be exact.

…

Joseph's excitement grew again as thought he was going to see some action with this knightmare arriving on scene, and with Lelouch's new superpowers, it was definitely going to be a wild ride.

A female voice from the knightmare spoke through the intercom.

"_Who are you?! What happened here!?"_

The female voice brought up a good point.

If Lelouch was a superhero now, he'll need a superhero name.

"_Let's see…mind control powers, and a red glowy eye…" _Joseph thought to himself as he tried to decipher the perfect superhero name for his brother.

Then something clicked! A grin formed on Joseph's face.

"…_Got it!" _

He stepped forward as he looked at the Knightmare.

"His name!

**Mind Wielder Red Glowy Eye Man**!"

He turned back around to look at his brother to see how he would react to the superhero name.

Turns out, it was a big WTF face.

"_Probably can't get over how cool of a name it is!" _Joseph thought gleefully.

(From Lelouch's perspective: _"IS HE TRYING TO GET US SHOT?!"_)

…

If Viletta was confused before, she was bewildered now. She came across who appeared to be a Britannian student and a homeless man among a pile of bodies, including the Royal Guard, and all of a sudden the homeless man, who has a woman in his arms, comes up to her and shouts that the boy's name is "Mind Wielder Red Glowy Eye Man".

"_Is this guy on drugs?"_

Whatever the cause was, she was going to get some answers for this current madness. She pushed the intercom button.

"Enough of this foolishness! Answer me or I'll-" It was then the boy interrupted her.

"I order you to come out of there at once!"

Now Viletta was getting really ticked off. First this bum and his random proclamation and now this boy was trying to give her orders!

"Who do you think you are giving _me_ orders, boy!?" Viletta asked angrily as she readied her guns to shoot both the boy and the bum.

The boy's face faltered a bit, but remained steadfast as he put his hands up.

"Apologies, my name is Alan Spacer. My father's a duke. My ID is in my breast pocket. After you confirm my identity, I'll request your protection."

"_Nobility?" _Viletta thought surprised.

This intrigued her, after all, if she could get on good terms with a noble, it could definitely help her down the path to nobility herself.

However…

"And what about the bum? Is he with you?" Viletta asked suspiciously

The boy scoffed.

"Please. You honestly think I would associate myself with trash like this? You're free to kill him if you wish, just make sure to do it after I get in that knightmare of yours. I rather not get blood on my uniform."

"_He certainly acts like a noble."_ Viletta thought annoyingly.

She looked back at the man and he looked genuinely confused about what he said.

While she was still suspicious, she wasn't going to let an opportunity like this go by. She turned off her knightmare and opened her compartment.

She came down her Sutherland and aimed her gun at the boy and the man.

"Stay where you are and keep your hands up, I'll take out your ID for you."

All of a sudden, her mind was struck by a red haze.

…

"Understood, the code is XG2-IG2D4." The female soldier said in a monotone voice as she tossed the key to Lelouch.

"Got it." Lelouch said as he caught the key and turned off his power.

"Eye contact? Downer, still cool though." Joseph said with optimism.

Lelouch just gave him a deadpan look.

"Mind Wielder Red Glowy Eye Man?" He asked with a "_really?_" tone in his voice.

"Yeah, superhero name." Joseph said matter-of-factly.

Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose as he started walking towards the knightmare.

"I think I'm going to need something shorter than that for future usage. And sorry about calling you trash, I had to make sure she came out of the Sutherland to use my power on her."

"All good bro…ooh, ooh, got it, **Captain Red Eye**!" Joseph proclaimed as he followed Lelouch from behind.

Lelouch just groaned in annoyance as he used the cable to ascend up the Sutherland.

"**The Red Brain Wonder**!" Joseph shouted to him.

Inside the knightmare, Lelouch deciphered how to turn it on and how to use the controls. Lelouch looked at Joseph through the screen, who was sticking his tongue out and making funny faces at the frozen woman.

Lelouch knew he needed to stop Clovis and his soldiers from inciting any more violence in this ghetto, but he also knew he couldn't babysit his brother either. Despite being one of the half-siblings in his family he actually liked, he knew he would be a nuance in this battle.

"_Still, there was the incident with Suzaku…and the soldiers."_

Lelouch thought back to how Joseph was able to block Suzaku's kick with ease, and he knew just how hard Suzaku could hit someone when he wanted to.

And with the soldiers, he took that girl and jumped in the air and on the walls like an acrobat, and with such speed. Lelouch had never seen anything like it. Still, this was going to be a battle of knightmares, not even Joseph could compete with that.

So while he didn't need to worry about Joseph fending for himself on the ground, the least he could do was find someplace for him to hide.

He extended the knightmare's hand towards Joseph.

"Come on, get on."

Joseph looked up in awe and excitement.

"GIANT ROBOT RIDE!"

…

"HIGH HO SILVEEEEEEERRRR!" Joseph roared with glee as he raised his arms up(the woman's body under him) and felt the wind blow in his face.

Joseph never got to ride a knightmare like this before! Well then again, he never got to ride a knightmare at all, so the experience was all the more thrilling and fun for him.

Joseph watched the buildings pass by him in excitement. Finally, he was going to see some knightmare action, and so up close too!

"_Today really is a good day!"_ Joseph thought.

But then his excitement turned to confusion as Lelouch made a turn away from the battle field and to an abandoned building.

"Ah bro...action that way." Joseph said to his Lelouch as he pointed the other direction.

"_Radio transmissions said this building was already swept. So you shouldn't have to worry about soldiers checking this area again._" Lelouch said through the intercom of the knightmare.

"Huh?" Joseph asked in confusion.

"_I'm sorry Joseph, but I think it's better you take that woman and just stay her for now."_

Joseph looked at the knightmare in shock. He just reunited with his brother, learned he had gotten a superpower, and even gave him a ride on a knightmare. Now all of a sudden he wants to split up!

"Wha! Come on bro! Stick together! Me, sidekick!" Joseph exclaimed trying to convince his brother to let him stay.

"_The situation here is too dangerous, Clovis and his men are tearing this place apart and right now, I'm the only one who can stop him. I rather you be safe than me be sorry that I got you killed. I know we have a lot of catching up to do, and I intend we make sure to do so. I promise I will come back for you, but for now just stay here. Please."_

Joseph could tell Lelouch really wanted to keep him safe, and while Joseph knew he could take care of himself out there, he didn't want his little brother to worry about him. Besides, Joseph always knew Lelouch was a smart guy, ever since they were growing up together, he could see that he was the smartest one in the family.

Totally like Professor X.

So if Lelouch believed that it be best he remains here, he would do so.

"Mmmmm…okay." Joseph said sadly as he picked up the woman and stepped off the knightmare's hand.

"_Good, now just remain here until I come back, and try not to get into trouble, alright." _

Joseph, not wanting his brother to lose his momentum from this detour, decided to boost his motivation for the ongoing battle.

"Yeah yeah. Enough chat bro, onward and forward, superhero duties!" Joseph said with optimism in voice as he struck a pose in superhero fashion.

"…_um…right…" _Lelouch said as he started to move the knightmare away.

"Hey Lelouch!" Joseph called to him. Lelouch stopped the knightmare and looked back at him.

"…**The Influencer**!" Joseph said as he twirled his hands in presentation.

Lelouch (from his current prespective: _"Shit, that's actually not bad…) _just had this to say.

"_I'll think about it."_ Lelouch said through the intercom, he then turned and left as Joseph watched him with a big grin on his face.

"Alright Hamilton!" Joseph said to himself in a surfer dude fashion.

He then looked back at the woman still in his arms and a sad frown appeared. He set her down on the ground.

"Thanks again." He said to her softly.

He turned around and got to work on digging up her grave.

With his bare hands.

Thankfully, the ground in this area was rather soft and he was able to dig with ease.

"_You know, might as well sing a song." _Joseph thought to himself.

No reason a burial can't be lively. That's how people at those gospel churches did it, and those were very fun for Joseph.

_Oh bury me noooooooott, on the lone prairie._

_Oh di oh lay he hoooooo_

_Where the wild coyooooooooooo…_

The singing left Joseph's voice as he turned around and saw the woman who he thought was dead, looking right at him.

...

Lelouch listened to the radio transmissions, hoping to find the one that would link to the red hair girl's Glasgow that he saw earlier.

"With me at their command, and this new power. Nothing can stop me." Lelouch said out loud maniacally as he thought back to when he had those soldiers kill themselves with a simple order.

_"It'll be tricky knowing I need eye contact though, I'll need to test out this power after-"_ Lelouch's thought process came to a sudden halt as he remembered something else.

And it was the fact that his brother was looking **right at him** when he gave that command.

_"This power doesn't affect_ him!?" Lelouch thought with shock and widen eyes.

_To Be Continued..._

**This one is shorter than the last, but I really wanted to get it uploaded. This chapter was inspired by the Shazam film where Freddy was coming up with names for Billy's alter ego! I thought it be funny Joseph would come up with all these random superhero names he thought would be cool. Curious, what name would you guys give Lelouch's alter ego besides "Zero". Please comment and let me know. **


	4. A Dimwit and A Witch!

_"Was he really singing while he was digging my_ _grave?"_

This was C.C.'s first thought as Charles's half brain-dead son looked at her with curiosity. When she woke up, she wasn't expecting to be in his present company, or anybody's present company for that matter. Certainly not in the care of the Dimwitted Prince of all people.

Suddenly, he walked up to her. He stopped a few feet in front of her and crouched down a few inches from her face, curiosity taking over his demeanor. C.C. couldn't be help but be a bit surprised, the usual reactions when people see her come back to life for the first time was stepping back away in surprise/fear or indifference, for the very weird ones anyway, not even Clovis was this a-keen to her when she was discovered. Suddenly, the dimwit brought his finger up and poked her right in the nose.

"Uh..." Was all C.C. could say.

The kid brought his finger he poked her with to his chin.

"Hmm...ghost or zombie?...Zombie-Ghost!" He exclaimed after thinking about it.

C.C. just stared at him blankly.

"A witch actually..." C.C. muttered.

"A Witch-Zombie-Ghost!" He exclaimed excitedly.

C.C. just signed.

_"Hard to believe this guy is actually related to Charles...yet...something feels familiar about his aura..."_

Deciding to ponder more about it later, she started to get up.

"I'm not a ghost or a zombie. I'm immortal." C.C. said patiently.

"Coolio!" Raises his hand for her to shake. "Joseph Du Brit-"

"Yes, I know, you told me. You can call me C.C."

"C.C.? Like Cece?"

"No."

"Cécile?"

"No."

"Cee-Saw?"

"No."

"Seaweed?"

"No!" C.C. now exclaimed with a bit of aggravation in her voice.

"...R2-D2?" The moron innocently asked.

C.C. eye started to twitch, and instead of bothering to answer him, she walked out of the building. Knowing if she stood there any longer, she would end up doing something she just **might** regret.

_"Not even five minutes with him and he's already the most annoying person on the planet." _C.C. thought with passion.

C.C. thought she would have grown immune to morons like him, but I guess every century needs to have a someone that'll just eventually start scratching at her skin.

"Hey, where going?" Joseph asked as he followed her.

"I rather not be here when the calvary arrive." C.C. said as she tried to keep a faster pace than him, to no avail as he stay right behind her.

"But brother said stay, place already swept." Joseph tried to argue.

"And I've been on this Earth long enough to know there's always a straggler or two. Besides he told **_you _**to stay, as far he's aware, I'm dead." C.C. retorted back.

"Ah..." Was all Joseph said, as if he just figured that out...which he probably did. Then he asked something that may have questioned her own sanity at this point.

"Hey, do immortals poop?"

...

They walked together in silence for some time, C.C. stopped answering his questions after he asked if immortals still pick their noses. It was a fair question, after all, does mucus still form or does it all just go away after picking it dry one last time.

While he still thought it was a better idea to stay where Lelouch asked him to, he didn't like leaving this woman to fend for herself either, she was just captured after all. However seeing that C.C. wasn't in the talking mood, he decided to play some of his music instead.

He took out his Walkman, remember he still had his "_Walking Music_" in the slot. He pressed the play button.

_More bounce_

_More bounce_  
_More bounce_  
_Much more bounce_

_Bounce much more_  
_I like to bounce_  
_And I'm gonna make you bounce_  
_Much more bounce_

_More bounce to the ounce_  
_(Much more bounce)_  
_More bounce to the ounce_  
_(Yeah)_

Joseph danced with the beat, moving his hip to the right and his arm to the left, kicking his feet with each step, rocking out to the funky tune that is Zapp. Interestedly enough, C.C. didn't look at him with the usual WTF he got from people when he danced around these type of areas, but more of a puzzlement, as if she sort of expected him to do it.

"You're choosing now to play music and dance?" C.C. asked.

"Why **_not_** play music and dance?" Joseph asked back as he continued his dancing. (From C.C. perspective, he actually had some moves on him.)

"So. Gave brother superpowers. How?" Joseph asked still dancing to the beat.

"It's an ability I have. I can give the power of Geass to other people." C.C. said

"Geass? Like the Force? Cool." Joseph asked over his music.

"Not exactly..." C.C. quietly muttered (not wanting to have to explain to this simpleton how Geass works)

"Like Jedi Master. Giving mito-chontros to people." Joseph said with enthusiasm.

"One. It's pronounced Midichlorians. Two. That's not how the Midichlorians work...actually, I'm not sure that was ever really explained in those films."

"Still cool." Joseph replied as he continued dancing. "Why Lelouch?" He couldn't help but wonder.

"I could tell he wanted power. So I gave it to him." C.C. responded with.

Joseph knew what she meant by power. Not superpowers, but a different kind of power. The kind he heard his dad talk about it all time, at least when there was TV around.

"Lelouch? Naaahhh, not like that. Good guy." Joseph reassured.

"You be surprised what kind of ideals people have."

"Ehh, dad is Emperor."

C.C. raised her eyebrows. "Touche..." (From C.C. perspective: _"Perhaps he's not as dumb as I thought._)

C.C. decided to stop walking for a moment.

"Can I ask **you** something?" C.C. asked, as he continued to dance.

"Abso-toda-lutely." He responded as he pushed the stop button on his walkman.

"Why did you save that little girl from being killed? You yourself could have died, and risked Lelouch and I getting caught. Even though he pretty much did that on his own."

Joseph just shrugged.

"Just kid, deserves life. Besides, guys were hidden, no risk." He answered with a toothy grin.

"How do you know those soldiers wouldn't have investigated the place you jumped out of?" C.C. came back with.

Joseph opened his mouth and then realized the holes that C.C. poked in his plan.

"Oh yeeeaahhhh, doy!" Joseph said as he boinked himself on the head, wondering why he didn't think of that.

"You don't really think things through, do you boy?" C.C. asked

Once again, Joseph just shrugged.

"If do something, do it stupid." Joseph proudly said as he made put his hands on hips and puffed out his chest.

C.C. blinked at him.

"You're a very strange individual."

Joseph continued to dopily smile at her. "Thank you."

Suddenly, they both a heard a loud noise coming their way.

"Hide." C.C. said as she ran into a ruined building, Joseph followed behind, though still poked his head out a tiny bit to get a look at what's going on. And what he saw made his eyes widen in amazement.

It was a knightmare, but not just any knightmare, a **cool **looking knightmare.

Not to say the other nightmares weren't cool looking, but this specific knightmare was **super cool** looking. It was white colored and had gold trimmings on the sides of its arms and legs, its head was sort of shaped like it had a helmet, armor to be exact. Joseph felt like he was looking at a robotic knight as it was looking around less mechanically and more biologic, sort of like a Transformer. Only one word came out of Joseph's mouth as the giant white robot changed directions and left.

"Badass."

Joseph started jumping on the different levels of the broken building. C.C. watched him with curiosity.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Better look!" He yelled back to her.

He climbed through a hole in the roof, and looked upon the landscape of the Shinjuku Ghetto. It wasn't a pretty sight, but it was always cool to see a city in all its gravitas, no matter how gray or broken it was. He could see the white knightmare taking out other knightmares in the distance, it was so cool!

_"Attention all forces, cease fire!"_ A voice said through an intercom throughout the whole ghetto. Joseph recognized it was Clovis's, he seen him speak a few times on one of those big TVs recently.

_"In the name of Clovis la Britannia third imperial Prince and Viceroy of Area 11, you are ordered to cease fire! I repeat, you are ordered ordered to cease fire at once! You will cease in destructions of anymore buildings! All casualties and wounded, whether they are Britannian or Eleven will be treated without prejudice! In my name as the third Britannian prince, I shall not allow any further fighting so cease fire at once!"_

Joseph couldn't but wonder. _"Was that you Lelouch?"_

He jumped back down through the hole of the building to ask C.C.'s opinion about this.

"Hey, think that-"

Joseph wasn't able to ask his question as he discovered that C.C. was now gone.

Confused, he looked around and didn't see her anywhere.

"C.C.?"

He went outside the building and still couldn't find her.

"C.C.! Cee-Saw!...Seaweed?!" Joseph called out to her, trying out the various nicknames he came up with her. Still nothing.

She must have wandered off while he was on top of the building. And just when they were starting to become friends too.

"Ah man...cool woman...oh well."

He figured he see again anyway, after all, she is Lelouch's Jedi Master/Superhero Mentor now, probably will want to watch over him.

_"Welp, back to the place Lelouch told me to hide...which issssssss..."_ Joseph thought as he tried to decipher which way the building was he hid in earlier with C.C.

He realized he had become lost.

_"Dang it! All these buildings look the same." _Joseph exclaimed in his head. He thought it be best to try and retrace his steps.

...

C.C. watched Joseph leave from afar.

"That boy is just going to drag me down...oh please, like you never found him annoying when he was living with you...Very funny..."

She left in the other direction.

"...Still, something about him seems strange...not the obvious strangeness, more like something inside him, as if..."

...

_Later..._

"What the hell?!" Lelouch exclaimed as he saw that Joseph was gone from the site he left him at.

_"For goodness sake, Joseph! You couldn't follow a simple set of instructions!? Unless..."_

Could it be he was captured? Lelouch doubted it, as he's seen his brother's capabilities. Still, even the most swift can stumble.

Lelouch realized he really didn't have time to ponder, as it may cause suspicion if he stayed here too long. So while he didn't want to, he had to leave this area.

_"Forgive me Joseph. But now that I have this power, I must push my plans forward. I hope you're safe, where ever you are."_ Lelouch thought sadly, but also with determination, knowing now he can finally get his revenge on Britannia.

Still, he should come back and look for him the next chance he can get. He had so many questions for him. And one very important than the others.

_"If this power requires eye contact, why didn't it affect Joseph? Is it because of his mental capacity? Or does he have some sort connection? I have to ask him what he felt when he was looking at me when I find him again."_ Lelouch thought as he went his way back to Nunnally.

_To Be Continued..._

**And there's chapter 4. This was fun to write because I got to show more how Joseph would carry a casual conversation, or at least from his point of view, a casual conversation. I also wanted to make sure he wasn't straight out dumb, he's aware of what goes on in the world and what kind of man his father is. More of his morals will be brought out in later chapters. Until then, enjoy and please comment.**


	5. A Superhero Debut!

As it turns out, Joseph was not that good at retracing his steps as he thought he was.

He tried following the footsteps he made back to where the building was, but soon they collided with other footsteps and he realized that he wore the same shoes as a lot of other people did in the ghetto.

Then he tried to use his "jellyfish instincts" by licking his finger and sticking it into his ear for directions, but that didn't help either. So somewhere along the lines, he ended up on top of a broken building, in the middle of the night, overlooking the city to see if he could find it.

To no avail. And then realizing he's been at this for a couple of days.

_"Ah man, at this rate, Lelouch is already long gone. Damn it all, I really wanted to see how he was doing."_

Joseph had so many questions for him. Like just why was he here in Japan with Nunnally and Marianne in the first place? How did he come to know Suzaku? And when did he grow so cold when it came to talking about Britannia?

He always remembered Lelouch being happy and full of life, the three of them(sometimes four when Euphie came over) would always play together and have fun.

Now he just seemed so closed off.

_"It's clear I must find him and find out what's going on!"_

Suddenly, he heard a news broadcast going off from a big TV coming from one of the buildings of the Tokyo Settlement a few hundred feet away.

_"Oooh, TV! I haven't been able watch anything in awhile!" _Joseph exclaimed in his head as he sat criss-crossed on top of the building, watching the news with interest.

_"Any moment, any moment now! It's a sight to see, just the crowd lining in the route. All of them waiting on baited breath. Waiting for the accused murderer of Prince Clovis to pass by. Honorary Britannian and Former Eleven, Suzaku Kururugi." _The news reporter said.

Joseph eyes widen not just from one but two revelations. His brother Clovis was dead, and apparently Suzaku Kururugi was the culprit!

While he didn't interact with Clovis too much growing up in Pendragon, he was still his brother and he would make sure to pay his respects to him next chance he gets.

But then there's Suzaku. The murderer?

That last part didn't make any sense, last time he saw Suzaku, he was shot! Then again, Joseph had been shot a number of times before and always maintained his composure.

Still, Suzaku never seemed like that type of guy to kill someone, sure he was kind of brat when they were longer, but what kid isn't at that age. No, something fishy going on here.

Then Joseph remembered the announcement Clovis gave the day he reunited with Lelouch.

_"Lelouch...you didn't..." _Joseph thought with grimace.

_"I-I can see them, they have the suspect! Suzaku Kururugi is headed this way!"_

The screen then showed Suzaku in what appeared some straightjacket, and he himself looked tattered and beaten.

_"Oh Suzaku...what they did they do to you..."_ Joseph thought as he frowned at Suzaku's appearance.

"He shouldn't have stopped at Clovis! He should have killed every royal when he had the chance!" A Japanese man yelled from below him.

That made Joseph sad, not for himself, but more for his siblings, as there was a lot he cared for and didn't think deserve death.

"How can you even say that?! It's because of him our lives will be even worse than before!" A Japanese woman yelled.

_"Always an endless debate...never a winner..." _Joseph thought as he watched the people below him argue with each other.

For years, he has seen these types of debates from other people in different countries. Every person had their own opinion but nobody could come to a proper conclusion of what was right and wrong, always divided, never a majority. And sometimes they would go back on what they said and do the complete opposite, which just confused him. For Joseph, he always just remembered what his mother told him and to do what he thought was the right thing to do, not just what the people's opinion might be of the situation.

_"Maybe that's why Dad is able to be emperor as long as he has. Because people can't seem to make up their minds about anything. _Joseph thought.

_"Margrave Jeremiah will be presiding over the case as Acting Consul." _The news reporter said as Joseph saw Jeremiah riding on the vehicle. He looked older than the last time he saw him, but he still has that same blue hair and stoic look on his face.

_"Oh Jerry, why would you let yourself be part of this?"_

Joseph always remembered Jeremiah as fierce yet friendly, intimidating but kind, intelligent, and above all else...

Loyal.

His mom once said that you couldn't contain the loyalty of Jeremiah Gottwald in the entire state of Pendragon if you tried. Which always got an embarrassed chuckle from Jerry.

Here, he just looked mean and bitter, as if he was trying to take frustrations out on Suzaku...but why?

Suddenly, the vehicle stopped. And another vehicle was approaching.

_"It's-It's Prince Clovis's personal transport!"_ The news reporter exclaimed.

Joseph raised an eyebrow as he squinted his eyes to get a better look in the car. It looked fancy, but something felt off about it.

The vehicle stopped a few meters away from Jeremiah and the others.

_"You dare spoil his highness's transport. Come out of there at once!" _Jeremiah exclaimed.

Suddenly, the Britannia Flag on the transport went up into flames and revealed a masked individual.

_"Okay, THAT is a cool entrance!"_ Joseph exclaimed in his head as he started to grin again.

The masked individual had a long black cape with gold linings wrapped around his body, his pants appeared to be purplish-black, and his helmet was sleek and oval.

Sort of like an egg.

_"I..am Zero!" _The mask individual exclaimed.

_"Wh-who is this person?! This man calling himself Zero is standing before a military convoy!" _The news reporter exclaimed.

_"I've seen enough, Zero!"_ Jeremiah exclaimed as he shot his gun up in the air.

Suddenly, Knightmares come flying down to surround the transport and this "Zero" guy. The shockwave revealed his body.

And he looked rather skinny.

The same kind of build a certain someone he knew had. As Jerry was talking, Joseph was doing his own thinking.

First Lelouch gets a superpower, then Clovis calls of his attack, and now all of a sudden he's dead and this man dressed up as a superhero with a skinny build was trying to save Suzaku, his friend, who is accused of murdering him?!

_"Lelouch...is that you?"_

As he pondered, the "Zero" guy looked like he was about to take off his mask when suddenly he raised his hand up all the way in the air and snapped his finger. Seconds later, the compartment behind him broke down the reveal a canister. The very same canister that was holding C.C.!

_"Dramatic posture and the canister that held C.C.? Yep, that's definitely Lelouch._" Joseph thought excitedly as he saw his brother making his superhero debut.

Where else would have learned to be so fabulous besides Joseph from the way he performed every time he told a story to his younger siblings.

_"Such an awesome costume little bro! But "Zero"? A little boring isn't it? It doesn't make any sense either, his head isn't even shaped like a Zero, it's more like an egg...hmm, maybeeee...?_

Jeremiah spoke up again on the TV.

_"Fine! What are your demands!?" _

_"An exchange, t__his__ for Kururugi." _Zero yelled back.

_"Like Hell! He's charged with High Treason for murdering a Prince, I can't hand him over!"_

_"No, you're mistaken, Jeremiah! The man who killed Clovis...was myself!"_

People down below were shocked at this revelation.

"He killed Prince Clovis! Just who the hell is this guy!?

"And where do I sign up to join him?!"

As they talked about Zero. Joseph could only look at his disguised brother in sadness.

Sure, he himself had to kill people before. But only when it was necessary, usually he just beat the crap out of them. And he never think to kill one of his own family members, no matter how rotten they are, and he's seen how rotten some of them can be.

_"Lelouch...what happened to you these last years?"_

He also realized that superheroes had to fight their own siblings in comics and films all the time, often they do so with a heavy heart, but they do it to protect the city or even the world! Maybe that's why he's superhero material now. Either way, he was going to have to have a serious talking to with Lelouch when he saw him again.

_"He's mad I tell you! He'll pay for mocking the crown!" _Jeremiah yelled.

_"Careful, you don't wish for the public to learn about Orange do you?_ Zero asked.

This confused Joseph.

_"Orange?...Like he's allergic to Oranges or something?" _Joseph wondered.

_"If I die, it'll all go public, if you don't want that to happen, you'll do everything in your power to let us go." _Zero threatened.

And just a few seconds later, Jeremiah complied.

_"Right, understood. You there, release the prisoner!"_ Jeremiah commanded.

This surprised Joseph, but also made him smile a bit. He knew Britannia wouldn't just go through with a small threat like that, so there only lead to one conclusion.

_"He must have used his superpower! Awesome! Too bad it had to be used on Jerry, but he should have thought better than to try executing Suzaku for something he didn't do."_

As he watched Suzaku walk over to his brother, he noticed a woman with red hair following right behind him. Even with those shades, hat, and suit on, she looked very similar to that girl he saw in the truck. The one who got into that knightmare, the one the other guy in the truck called:

_"Kallen...?"_

It appeared that Lelouch had found his sidekick...

_"What the hell Lelouch, **I'm** suppose to be your sidekick!"_ Joseph thought angrily.

Suddenly, gas started pouring out, knightmares started firing at each other and Lelouch, Suzaku, and Kallen jumped off the bridge only to be saved by a trampoline launched by another Knightmare!

Joseph's anger quickly dissipated as he watched as he watched all the badass awesomeness go on. He then jumped up and cheered.

"YEAH! GO GET IT LITTLE BRO! SHOW THEM BOSSES BOSSING WHO WITH ALL BOSSINESS!" He exclaimed.

...

_Meanwhile down below_

"Did somebody just yelled from up there that Zero was their little bro?" A Japanese woman asked.

"Eh, probably some homeless nut, ignore it." A Japanese man answered.

...

_Back on the roof_

Joseph couldn't believe it, his brother just made his superhero debut by saving his friend, and he did it with so much badassness, though he still believed his name needed tinkering.

One thing for sure, he wanted to find his brother sooner rather than later, and help him with his crusade!

After all, he's seen and read plenty of films and tv shows to know Britannia would see this as a call to battle, wanting blood for the death of their prince. He doesn't know if his dad would care but if this was like Star Wars, Lelouch would be Luke Skywalker and their father is definitely Darth Vader, and he knew just how much of a badass villain he was. So he was going to need all the help he could get if he was going to challenge Dad.

Still, he wondered just how far Lelouch would be willing to take it...if he was willing to kill Clovis...would he be willing to...

Questions he would need to ask him later.

_"Alright brain, think! What clues are there that could help you figure out where Lelouch could be."_

His hair? Nope, looks the same as it did as a kid.

His face? Nope, looks the same, just older, maybe paler.

His eyes? Nope, same but more angry.

His uniform? No-wait!

Joseph remembered that he has seen that uniform before. He's seen other kids wear it as they were chatting with each other while he was dumpster diving behind a mall. They mentioned how they had to get back to certain school before one of the teachers realized they ditched. The name of that school was...

"ASHFORD ACADEMY!" Joseph exclaimed as he pointed his finger up in the air and accidentally hitting a bird mid-flight, sending it up higher into the sky and then plummeting down to the ground of the roof.

"Oh. Sorry birdie." Joseph quickly apologized with a "sorry" look on his face. He examined the bird, not sure if it was dead or not. The only thing he could think of doing was patting it on the head and wishing it well.

He jumped down from the roof, he held his head high in determination.

_"Alright! Ashford Academy, HERE I COME!" _

_To Be Continued..._

**And that concludes that. Here we get more of how Joseph looks to films, tv shows, and comics to rationalize his thinking sometimes. And I want to thank SomebodyLost for your comments that helped me push the story forward, as well as a superhero name for Zero which I will include in later chapters. Next chapter will be much longer I hope. Enjoy the chapter and give me your thoughts in the comments!**


	6. Making New Friends! Part 1

_Area 11 – Viceroy Palace_

"GET ZERO!" Cornelia shouted to the incompetent Vice Minister of Area 11 who decided a party was more important than finding her brother's killer.

She put a bullet in every single one of these idiots if she didn't them to maintain the situation in Area 11. After she dismissed them, she looked back at her sister Euphemia who looked down at the ground with sadness. This made Cornelia sigh.

"Euphie, I know you don't like violence, but as Viceroy I must make sure that I keep a firm-"

"It's not that. I just keep thinking…first it was Lelouch and Nunnally, and now it's our dear brother Clovis. How many more of our siblings must suffer because of our royal name?" Euphie replied as tears started to swell in her eyes.

Cornelia never could stand to see Euphie like this, she walked over to her and scooped her into a hug.

"We don't even know if Joseph is still alive." Euphie said over Cornelia's shoulder.

"We don't know he isn't either. We must keep faith like always." Cornelia replied as she rubbed her sister hair.

"Yes, you're right. Thank you sister." Euphie replied as she smiled at her sister.

"Of course."

While Cornelia thought it was a long shot that she would ever see her brother Joseph again, and even a longer shot that he was still alive, she hoped that wherever he was, he was in good spirits.

…

Joseph was in good spirits!

For today he would start he journey to Ashford Academy and finally see his little brother again. Of course, the question remained.

Where exactly was Ashford Academy? And would this Ashford happen to be same Milly Ashford he, Lelouch, and Nunnally were friends with? Since when did Milly own a school?

Questions for later…

...except that first one.

Well one thing was for sure. Ashford was most likely in the settlement area of Japan, because the place he went dumpster diving was outside the ghettos. And he remembered people giving him dirty looks the entire time, even getting chased by the police at one point. Not that he cared, he actually enjoyed a good chase once in awhile, found it to be good exercise.

However, it was clear if Joseph was going to travel from the ghettos to the settlement, he knew he had to clean himself up a bit.

Thankfully, there was a small pond in the ghettos that he could use to bath himself. Granted it wasn't a clean pond, but it was still water. So he used that time to wash his hair and body bit by bit. Joseph honestly felt refreshed after that.

Next, he found a rubber band on the street and used it to tie a man bun in his hair, unfortunately he couldn't find anything to cut his beard or hair and he didn't want to waste anymore time trying to find Lelouch. So he went on his way after that.

…

"What about Joseph? And the girl from the capsule?" Suzaku asked.

"I don't really know. We got separated during the fray, I tried searching for him but I couldn't find anything. After all, his description is the majority of people living in the ghettos right now." Lelouch explained sadly.

He really did try looking for him too, using his geass to find any witnesses who may have saw him pass by, but it came to no avail. C.C. wasnt much help either, all she said was the last she saw of him was jumping on a building, and he couldnt tell if she was serious or not.

"I guess that's true. Last time I saw him was 9 years ago, I barely recognized him when he engulfed me into that hug. I'm surprised he even remembered me." Suzaku said in embarrassment.

"You're telling me, he's my half-brother and I probably wouldn't have separated him from the people living on the streets." Lelouch said sadly.

"I still can't believe you two are related." Suzaku said surprised.

"Lady Rebecca never told you?" Lelouch asked curiously

"No, Tohdoh just said she was a Britannian Noblewoman who wanted her son to learn some self-defense. And honestly, I was too scared to even approach her, that woman could stare you into a coma if she wanted to." Suzaku chuckled with nostalgia.

"Hehe, yeah that was Aunt Becky for you." Lelouch replied as he remembered that Lady Rebecca was someone you would not want to cross when it came to insulting her son or the extended family she cared for. That included Lelouch and Nunnally.

...

Getting to the settlement was easy enough for Joseph, as he danced along to the beat of_ "Mr. Blue Sky"_ by ELO, he jumped along buildings, rode on top of the subway, and briskly walked his way through gun fights to get to his designation. And like always, he got a course of WTF faces along the way.

_"I wonder if they've heard ELO before?"_ Joseph thought to himself as he looked at a map of the Tokyo Settlement that he found on the ground in the middle of the night.

He searches every detail of the map until he came across the words "**ASHFORD ACADEMY**" in big bold letters and a red dot. Bingo!

He looked to see where the "**YOU ARE HERE**" dot was and discovered it was still miles away. Probably be dark by the time he got there. Before he could ponder on it more, an announcement on one of the big TVs came on.

it was the Britannian flag and a voiceover.

_"And now, his Royal Majesty, the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire!"_

This made Joseph excited. He was finally going to see his dad again, it was very rare he did one of these TV broadcasts, and he always loved seeing him.

The TV cut to his dad behind a podium. He looked the same as he did before.

Same stoic look, same powerful stance, same funny looking haircut which always made Joseph smile. His dad always had a funny sense of fashion when it came to his hair. He then began to speak in that booming voice of his.

_"All men are not created equal. Some are born swifter afoot, some with greater beauty. Some are born into poverty; and others are born sick and feeble. Both in birth and in upbringing, in sheer scope of ability, every human is inherently different! Yes, that is why people discriminate against one another, which is why there is struggle, competition, and the unfaltering march of progress! Inequality is not wrong, equality is! What of the EU who made equality a right? Rabble politics by a popularity contest. The Chinese Federation with its equal distribution of wealth? A nation of lazy dullards. But not our beloved Britannia. We fight, we compete; evolution is continuous! Britannia alone moves forward; advancing steadily into the future. Even the death of my son Clovis demonstrates Britannia's unswerving commitment to progress! We will fight on, we shall struggle, compete, plunder, and dominate and in the end the future shall be ours! All Hail Britannia!"_

Joseph could hear "All Hail Britannia!" coming from the screen and the Britannians in the area around him. All he could do was frown in sadness at his father's proclamation. While he loved seeing his father, he hated the messages he always sent out. So negative and backwards, and his father always looked so angry and sad when he did it. Maybe not sad for some people, but Joseph could see it in his eyes, it was subtle but it was there.

_"Oh dad, the world turned you into such a jerk. Don't worry, I still love you."_ Joseph thought as he resumed his journey to Ashford Academy.

...

_Later that night..._

It took a few hours but he finally arrived at the front gates of Ashford Academy. Only problem now it was night time, and he had no idea where to look for Lelouch.

_"Well, might as wait here until everyone's up and ready." _Joseph concluded to himself.

He climbed onto a nearby tree and decided to rest there until the morning.

...

_Next Morning..._

Joseph yawned and then stood up on the tree and stretched, he heard voices below him and saw there was a bunch students on campus now. This would definitely make it easier for him to find Lelouch now, maybe the girls below him can help him out in doing so.

So Joseph did the most logical thing that came to mind, which was to jump down from the tree and land a few feet away from them of course. The girls jumped back in surprise from his sudden appearance, giving him WTF faces. Perhaps he could lower their fear with a friendly greeting.

"Morn'in!" Joseph said in cockney accent while grinning and showing his teeth.

For some reason, the girls screamed and ran away from him. This confused Joseph.

"Weird. Oh well. Keep looking." Joseph said as he shrugged and went on his way. Giving a occasion wave to a passerby not really noticing the WTF looks he was getting from people around the campus as he was determined to have his re-reunion with his brother.

...

_Student Council Meeting Room_

Lelouch has had a lot to deal with the last few days.

First, he accidentally gets kidnapped by a group of resistance fighters which his classmate and now new student council member Kallen Stadfeldt (also known as Kozuki) was apart of, who almost killed him when her suspicions raised that he was Zero. He reunited with his older half-brother who looked like a crazy homeless person and then lost him somewhere out in the ghettos. He gained a power that allowed him to control the will of others with a simple command, given to him by an immortal witch. And his first friend, Suzaku Kururugi, who he saved from impending death by the Purebloods was now a student and also a student council member, per his request after his secret identity was almost discovered by a **_cat_** of all things.

In short, it was a strange week for him.

So it was nice to have some normalcy again when he and the other members of the student council were going over the budget for the clubs and upcoming festival.

These members included: Milly Ashford, President; Shirley Fenette, President of the Swim Team; Rivalz Cardemonde, Secretary; Nina Einstein, Technician; new members Kallen and Suzaku, roles still pending he believed; and himself as the Vice President.

"Alright everyone, with our next festival coming up. It only makes sense we dedicate it to our new member: Arthur!" the blonde-haired president exclaimed in giddy joy as she pointed to the cat sleeping on a pillow a few feet away.

"You want to hold a festival for a cat?" Lelouch asked, still a bit ticked off the little furball almost gave away his identity as Zero.

"Of course! Not only was he responsible for our newest team member Suzaku joining us, he gave us one of the funnest days this school has ever had!" Milly exclaimed.

"You're too much sometimes Madam President!" Shirley said as she sighed.

"Well then, would you like to take some of that weight for yourself?" The president asked as she made a groping gesture towards Shirley's boobs, which Shirley quickly covered.

"PERVERT!" Shirley yelled as her face lit up in red embarrassment.

Milly could only laugh.

"Moving on then, Rivalz, you will help Lelouch balance out the budget for the clubs this month." Milly ordered.

"Wha?!" Rivals yelped.

"Milly, you realize I could do that by myself right?" Lelouch asked.

"Yes, but Rivalz needs something to do, he is the secretary after all." Milly said accusingly to Rivalz.

"W-well you know, Lelouch is obviously the smartest one here. It would make sense he do it, I'm more of the go to guy for..."

Lelouch noticed that Rivalz stopped mid-sentence as he was looking dumbfounded at something.

"Wow Rivalz, you really can't come up with an excuse to not work?" Shirley said accusingly

"Uhhhh...guys, there's someone staring at us from outside the window." Rivalz said with puzzlement.

"Come on Rivalz, we're not going to fall foooorrrr..." Milly's sentence dropped from her mouth as she herself was now staring where Rivalz was also staring.

Lelouch turned around to see what they were looking at and his eyes widen in shock.

He saw it was none other than his brother, Joseph Du Britannia.

Staring back at them with his face and hands pressed against the window and a huge grin on his face.

_"Oh dear God, why?!" _Lelouch thought with fear as this was the **worst** place his brother could show up unannounced.

"Joseph?" Suzaku asked in confusion.

Suddenly, Joseph started slapping the glass, surprising the council.

"HEY! LELOUCH! SUZAKU! FOUND YOU" Joseph yelled with glee at them, confusing the council even more.

"Another friend of yours?" Kallen asked Lelouch with caution and bewilderment.

"_Is the universe out to get me or something?!"_ Lelouch asked himself in agony.

"HEY! ME! JOSEPH! HI!" Joseph yelled as he banged on the glass some more.

"Should we call security?" Nina asked in fear, even shaking a bit.

Lelouch started to panic a bit, he didn't want that to happen. Because one, it would just give him more unneeded attention, and two, he really didn't want to have his brother thrown out into the streets, especially considering he's probably been through that so many times before. He had to think of some sort of excuse quickly!

"CAN! YOU! HEAR!?" Joseph asked with his hands around his ears to suggest deafness.

"WAIT! GOT IT!" Joseph exclaimed again, as he balled his hands into fist and slammed them into the window.

Completely shattering all the glass on it.

"_Crap..." _Was all Lelouch could think as this day was already going from bad to worse.

"What the hell?!" Rivalz asked with fear as he started to back away.

"Shirley, security!" Milly ordered.

"Wait, no! That's not necessary!" Lelouch tried to explain.

Lelouch looked back and saw Joseph was about to climb through the window.

"Hey! Re-reunion, little bro-" Joseph didn't get to finish his sentence, for he was tackled by two security guards.

...

The universe seemed like it just did not want to reunite Joseph with his little brother.

He was pulled up by the men who tackled him, who both looked very stern and unfriendly.

_"Jeez, woke up on the wrong side of the bed today?"_ Joseph thought in puzzlement

"Alright you bum, how about we take a tour down to the police station?" One of the security guards asked.

"Meh, nothing special" Joseph responded as he waved his hand to gesture so.

The guards gave confused looks at each other and then looked sternly at him again.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to deal with it won't you." The other security guard said.

It was clear that these men were not going to let Joseph re-reunite with Lelouch. While he didn't want to resort to violence, he didn't want to miss another opportunity to see his little brother again or to meet his friends from the looks of it.

Thankfully, Lelouch came up to the shattered window.

"Wait! It's okay guys, I...I know him..." Lelouch sighed with defeat as he vouched for Joseph.

_"Thanks little bro!"_ Joseph grinned.

Now the guards looked befuddled.

"Are you sure Lelouch? This guy was spotted wandering aimlessly around the campus by several students and he just shattered a window and was about to climb in to get to you guys." One of the security guard said.

"He can be a little overzealous and absentminded sometimes, but I can assure you, he's not going to cause any more trouble. **Right?"**Lelouch asked Joseph through gritted teeth.

Joseph could only smile. He raised his hand up to his head, palm facing forward towards Lelouch in a salute.

"Abso-toda-lutely!" Joseph exclaimed.

Lelouch only closed his eyes and sighed.

"One more thing, gentlemen."

Joseph then saw Lelouch subtly look behind him and then back at the security guards and Joseph, his left eye then began to turn red like back in Shinjuku.

"When you leave, could you please keep this incident to yourselves. No reason authorities need to be notified." Lelouch "suggested" to the security officers.

Joseph looked at him in surprise but also small excitement as he got to see him use his powers again. But he also noticed that he made sure his friends didn't see him use it. Which meant either they didn't know he was Zero, or he didn't want to accidentally mind control them. The former seemed more reasonable, after all, it was a secret identity.

The guards relaxed and let go of Joseph.

"Sure, not a problem" One of the security guards said in a less stern voice.

"You folks have a nice day now." The other security guard left.

After they left, Joseph looked back at Lelouch, grinning widely.

_"Influencer!"_ Joseph thought with excitement.

Lelouch just looked at him in annoyance.

"Joe-" Lelouch tried to say something but Joseph didn't give him the chance, afraid the opportunity or reuniting would be gone again.

Therefore, he decided to push himself into the window and got inches from Lelouch's face.

"Lelouch!" He exclaimed before falling face first into the carpet below him.

He quickly jumped back up and grabbed Lelouch into a tight hug.

"Found you, little bro!"

...

_"Damn it all! Why here? Why now of all times?!" _Lelouch cursed as his brother held him in a tight grip like the last time they reunited. He didn't smell as bad or look as dirty as before, but still could use a bath. It looked like he put his hair in a bun as well, not a really good one but it kept his hair up.

Joseph let him go and was able to suck in some breath.

"Took forever! But here! So how been?!" Joseph asked

"Uh-" Lelouch tried to explain before he was interrupted again.

"Suzaku! Made it man!" Joseph exclaimed as he walked over to a bewildered Suzaku and gathered him in a tight hug as well.

"Same school as Lelouch? Awesome-possum!" He exclaimed as he released him from his grip.

"Wound okay? Infected?" Joseph asked as he turned Suzaku around without warning and pulled up his shirt to where he got shot.

"Nope. All good!" Joseph said as he turned Suzaku back around and gave him a thumbs up.

"Uh..." Was all Suzaku could say at the moment.

"So! New friends? Coolio!" Joseph said as he clapped his hands and walked over to them.

Lelouch could see the student council was bewildered by his brother's strange behavior and were still trying to decipher just who he was. That's when Milly decided to step in.

"Um...excuse me..who-" Milly tried to ask before being interrupted **again **by Joseph.

"Milly? Milly Ashford?" Joseph asked. Milly blinked in confusion, surprised this man knew who she was.

"Milly my Billy! Get here!" Joseph exclaimed as he rushed over and also grabbed her into a tight hug.

"Long time!" Joseph exclaimed in excitement.

"Right. Long time. Can't breathe sir." Milly said in strangled breath.

"Oh, sorry." Joseph apologized as he put her down.

Lelouch had to think quickly, come up with some excuse to get him away from his friends.

_"Hopefully he won't reveal who he is just yet."_ Lelouch thought to himself.

"Um, sorry to be rude. But, who are you exactly?" Shirley asked with slight caution in her voice, still reeling from the earlier actions of Joseph.

To which then Joseph strutted his way to Shirley and stuck out his hand to her.

"Joseph Du Britannia. Nice to meet!"

_"Why me?!"_ Lelouch thought miserably

Joseph's proclamation surprised everyone except Lelouch and Suzaku.

"Joseph? Is that really you?" Milly asked in a surprised tone.

"Wait. Britannia? As in the royal family Britannia?" Kallen asked in bewilderment.

Joseph looked at Kallen and recognition spread across his face. Lelouch eyes widen.

_"Shit!"_

"Hey you-" Joseph was about to say Kallen's name when he was interrupted by Lelouch.

"Joseph! How about you and me catch up after we get you properly cleaned up. And then I can introduce you to everyone. Okay?" Lelouch said trying to lead him to the doorway.

"Already bathed." Joseph said.

"With what? A dirty rag?" Lelouch asked pointedly.

"Nah. Dirty pond." Joseph replied with his dopey smile.

Lelouch gave him a deadpan look and turned him to face a mirror, to which to Joseph saw how dirty he was.

"Oooooooohh." Joseph said, finally understanding.

"Yeah...Sayoko." Lelouch called out.

To which then his maid appeared.

"Yes, Master Lelouch?" Sayoko asked, ready to take orders.

Instead of being shocked by her sudden appearance, this just made Joseph excited and started to ponder.

"Maid? Fast like Flash?...Got it, **The ****Lightning Servant**!" Joseph proclaimed.

If Sayoko was confused or bewildered, she certainly didn't show it. Lelouch could only sigh.

"Sayoko, could you please find some new clothes for Joseph to wear when he's done showering. Also a shaving kit if you can, he could use a trim." Lelouch asked.

"Of course, my lord." Sayoko bowed.

"And could you take his coat and clean it as well as you can? I know it's a lot to ask but that coat is very important to him."

Lelouch apologized for the multiple tasks he was giving Sayoko, but if Joseph was going to be here, the least he could do was make him look more presentable. Not like a noble, God no, but at least to the point where he doesn't look he climbed out of a garbage can.

However, Joseph gripped his coat and pulled it tighter around him at the suggestion someone take it away from him.

"My coat!" Joseph said with a stern voice.

"It's okay Joseph. She won't throw it away, she's just going to refurbish it is all. You can trust her." Lelouch reassured him.

Joseph looked at Lelouch than back at Sayoko and smiled.

"Okay. He trust, I trust." He was about to take his coat off when he it looked like he remembered something.

"Wait! Stuff."

He walked over to the meeting table and started to pull things out of his pockets.

First was his Walkman, then a bunch of cassette tapes(around 20-30 to be exact), a couple of small plastic bags that contained some sort of material that Lelouch could not identify, a piece of paper which actually revealed to be a picture of Lady Rebecca after Joseph unfolded it and kissed it, and finally some loose change.

But then it looked like he was poking at something inside of his mouth with his tongue and then reached into his mouth with his hand and pulled out a very yellow-brownish looking tooth.

"Loose tooth." Joseph said with a smile before flicking it into a trash can.

Lelouch and the others(excluding Sayoko) could only grimace.

"Uh...right. So, how about you give Sayoko your coat now." Lelouch suggested.

"Okey-dokie." Joseph said as he pulled off his coat, revealing something that Lelouch or the student council did not expect to see.

And it happened to be scars and bruises that lined across his arms. Some looked old, some looked fresh, it all indicated that Joseph has had more experiences with the real world than Lelouch thought.

_"Joseph...what has this world done to you?__" _Lelouch thought as Joseph walked over to Sayoko and gave her his coat.

"Arigato." Joseph thanked Sayoko in Japanese and bowed to her. This surprised Kallen and confused the Student Council.

"Dōitashimashite." Sayoko replied back with a smile and a bow.

"Alright! To bathing!" Joseph exclaimed as he grabbed Lelouch's hand and dragged him out of the room, who was spluttering his words.

This left one question on everyone's mind that Rivalz sounded off.

"Can someone explain to me what the hell just happened?!"

...

"Joseph, do you even know where you're going?" Lelouch asked exasperated.

"...Nope." Joseph responded as he kept checking doors to other rooms and checking the doors inside those rooms.

"Then how about you follow me instead?" Lelouch suggested as he got Joseph to stop walking for a minute.

"Sure!" Joseph responded happily.

Eventually, they made it to Lelouch's room despite the multiple questions he kept asking like: "Have Bat Signal?" "Underground base?" "Other superheroes? Like X-Men? Justice League?"

"What are you talking about?" Lelouch asked confused by the related superhero questions.

"Zero, right?" Joseph asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

Lelouch eyes widen in shock, he couldn't believe his brother figured it out so quickly.

"H-how...?"

"Psssh, bro. Super obvious. Superpower. Superhero costume. Skinny build. Theatrics. Only answer!" Joseph proclaimed as if it was obvious. Which made Lelouch's eye twitch a bit in annoyance.

"Theatrics?" Lelouch couldn't help but ask.

"Yep!" Joseph said as he reenacted what Lelouch did as Zero when he revealed the canister C.C. was in.

"Come on bro! Dramatics. Right. Here! Who else?" Joseph asked as he made similar dramatic poses as he did when he was younger when he would tell Lelouch and Nunnally stories.

"I was not _that_ dramatic..." Lelouch said grumpily, to which then Joseph squished Lelouch's cheeks together.

"(Sighs)...Taught well." Joseph proclaimed in happiness.

"(Yawns), What's with all the noise?" C.C said sleepily as she came into the room.

"Seaweed! Here too!" Joseph exclaimed as he went over to C.C. and hugged her tightly.

"Oh great..." C.C muttered in strangled breath. Clearly not happy to see him again, Joseph didn't seem to notice though.

"Course here! The Jedi Master!" Joseph exclaimed as he put her down and pointed at her, then he pointed at Lelouch.

"The Padawan!"

Lelouch could only look in exasperated dumbfoundedness. But then deciding it wasn't important, he shook it off.

"As much as I love to hear you spout more pop cultural references Joe. There's a few things that need to be cleared up. Okay?" Lelouch started to explain.

"OK!" Joseph said gleefully.

"Number one- Lelouch started

"Wait! Almost forgot." Joseph interrupted

"What?" Lelouch asked, wondering what he had to say now.

To which then he received a karate chop to the head, HARD. Lelouch gripped his head and groaned out in pain,

"OW! What the hell was that for!?" Lelouch asked in an angry, confused and painful tone.

"Why you kill Clovis?! Own brother man!" Joseph asked angrily.

"Shhhh. Keep it down." Lelouch ordered, you never know who might be listening.

"Don't shush me! MAKE ALL NOISE I WANNA! WOO-HOO! YIPPEE! YAY!" Joseph yelled out to the world.

...

_Meanwhile across the Ashford campus_

Students were looking towards the student council building in confused fashion as they heard muffled yelling and cheering.

"...the hell?" A random student asked.

...

_Back to Lelouch's room_

"WOULD YOU CHILL OUT!" Lelouch yelled back.

C.C. couldn't help but chuckle seeing how annoyed Lelouch was getting with Joseph.

"Then explanation!" Joseph said crossing his arms in waiting.

In an annoyed sigh, and then with a calm breath, Lelouch gave it.

"I'm sorry. Killing Clovis is not something I'm proud of, quite the opposite actually. But you have to understand Joseph, he was leading a massacre in the Shinjuku ghetto, slaughtering Japanese civilians just to hide his own secrets." Lelouch explained while giving a look towards C.C. As well as did Joseph.

"In container because Clovis." Joseph in a statement rather than a question.

"Yes. He experimented on her because of her immortality and kept her imprisoned. So when I confronted him, I confronted him as I would an enemy of the battlefield. Because when you're in war, that's the mindset you have to have or you'll lose dearly."

Joseph starred at him a few moments, as if analyzing him and what he just said. After a while, he went over to C.C. and gave her a gentle hug, which surprised Lelouch and C.C.

Joseph looked at her sadly

"Sorry." Joseph said quietly

Then he looked back Lelouch and nodded his head.

"Ok...still, pay respects." Joseph ordered.

"But-"

"RespectssssssSAH!" Joseph hissed at him.

"...Fine." Lelouch sighed. "Now can I please give you some instructions?"

Joseph nodded with a smile.

"Number one. Stop. Yelling. Everything." Lelouch said through his teeth.

"Got it." Joseph said as he gave him a thumbs up.

"Number two. Kallen doesn't know I'm Zero, so please, don't tell her." Lelouch said.

"But sidekick bro. Sidekicks know superhero identity." Joseph explained.

And before Lelouch could reply, Joseph had another thing to say.

"Oh yeah. Why she sidekick? Sidekick right here!" Joseph exclaimed as he pointed to himself and then made a bunch of karate moves.

"Joe, she's not my sidekick. She works with a group of resistance fighters and I just happen to lead them on two missions so far. As for why she doesn't my identity, I'm not exactly at a trusting range with her yet. She can be a little bit of a live wire." Lelouch explained.

"...Still, need trust, give trust, right?" Joseph asked.

Lelouch only looked at him blankly, knowing it was never that simple.

"We'll see...and number three. Besides Milly and Suzaku, nobody here knows I'm a prince, me and Nunnally both go both by our mother's maiden name, which is Lamperouge. So when you see the student council again, be sure to make no mention that we're related." Lelouch explained.

Joseph tilted his head in confusion.

"Why bro?" Joseph asked.

"It's...it's complicated..." Lelouch said quietly.

While Joseph looked like he wanted to push, he decided to hold back on it.

"If say so. Lamp-per-rougggge." Joseph said as he air-quoted Lelouch's last name.

Lelouch could only sigh.

"Look, just come back to the meeting room when you're done and I'll properly introduce you to my friends." Lelouch said.

"Aye-aye." Joseph said as he saluted.

With that, Lelouch took his turn to leave.

"WAIT!" Joseph shouted.

Which startled Lelouch and forced him to turn around in surprise.

"What!?" Lelouch asked fearfully

"Your name...needs work." Was all Joseph said in a causal tone.

"...What?" Was all Lelouch could think of replying with.

"Zero. Too simple, boring. How about...**Captain Zero**!" Joseph said as he dramatically walked backwards to the bathroom while sticking out his hands dramatically as well.

Lelouch could only stand there in confusion.

"Keep trying." Joseph reassured as he gave a thumbs up and then closed the door to the bathroom.

"You sure you two share the same DNA?" C.C. asked cheekily

"I don't need to hear any snark from you 'Seaweed'." Lelouch came back with, which annoyed C.C.

"In the meantime, can you _please_ make sure he doesn't go anywhere he doesn't need to." Lelouch asked as he started to leave.

"I'm not a babysitter you know." C.C. said annoyed.

"Would you rather I take away your cheese-kun?" Lelouch asked.

"...fine." C.C. said defeated.

...

_Student Council Meeting Room_

As soon as Lelouch returned to the student council room, he was immediately surrounded by Shirley and Rivalz.

"Okay, Lelouch. What's going on? Who is that guy? How do you know him?" Rivalz asked.

"Is he really a prince?" Shirley asked with awe.

"And how on Earth did he shatter an entire window with just his fists?" Kallen asked.

"He recognized you, Milly, and Suzaku. And Milly insisted that we wait for you to get back. So one of you better start talking." Rivals demanded.

Shirley agreed with determined nod.

Seeing how Lelouch was not going to be able to get out of this without giving answers, he drew in a breath and gave out a sigh of defeat.

"Alright. You're all going to want to take a seat. This will take awhile." Lelouch told them.

As they proceeded to sit, Milly decided to sit next to Lelouch as she had her own explaining to do. How she planned to do that all depended on what Lelouch told them.

"To answer one of your questions Rivalz. Yes, he is indeed a prince. Prince Joseph Du Britannia, 50th in Line for the Crown, son of the 98th Emperor of the Realm." Lelouch started to explain.

Everyone besides Milly and Suzaku were looking at Lelouch agape. An actual prince in their presence.

"So wait, he's not some crazy homeless guy? He's an actual prince?!" Kallen asked shocked.

"While crazy is yet to be determined. I can't argue whether or not he's been homeless. Judging from his appearance, I would most definitely say he's hasn't been living a stable home for awhile. I can't be sure though, it's been years since I've seen him."

This just confused everyone further.

"Bu-but he's a prince! Why would he be homeless?" Nina asked shyly

"Yeah! I thought the royal family was living it up." Rivalz asked.

"It was a choice he made seven-and-a-half years ago." Lelouch explained.

The student council looked at him curiously, even Suzaku didn't know anything about this. Lelouch only sighed.

"I'll start at the beginning. As I'm sure most of you know, Milly's family took me and Nunnally when we were at a young age. They were also once high in nobility, and having a high ranking meant having connections, connections such as the royal family. Connections, such as Lady Rebecca, Joseph's mother. And it was often the three of us would come visit him and her." Lelouch explained.

Milly started to see where this was going and decided to contribute.

"Yes, my grandfather was one of her supporters, they known each other for long time and she often enjoyed having us over, especially Joseph. Besides a few of his siblings, nobody really wanted to be his friend." Milly went on.

"Because of the way he acts and talks?" Rivalz asked.

"Rivalz!" Shirley yelled at him.

"What? I'm just asking." Rivalz said.

"You can be more polite about!" Shirley lectured before turning her attention back to Lelouch and Milly.

"But if I may ask, what is with his speech pattern? Is he..um..." Shirley was afraid to follow-up, as it always is an awkward subject to bring up.

"Mentally challenged?" Lelouch finished for her, to which Shirley looked down ashamed but nodded.

Rivalz also looked a bit awkward himself.

"That's a little harder to explain." Lelouch said as he looked down sadly. Milly decided to step in again.

"When Joseph was born, it was actually premature. He didn't get enough oxygen coming out of the birth carnal, and they had to but him in a ventilator for five days." Milly explained.

"Oh God..." Shirley said quietly as her hand came to her mouth.

"The doctors told Lady Rebecca that Joseph was most likely going to die, but she would not accept that. So instead what she did, at least according from what she and Joseph have told me, she took him out of the hospital, kept an oxygen tank on her for him to breath at all times, and went to find a cure for her son. Two weeks later, she came back to Pendragon with Joseph, looking healthy as a horse." Lelouch explained.

"That's amazing!" Rivalz said excited.

"She did that for her own child?" Suzaku asked in shock.

"You'd be surprised what lengths a mother would go through..." Milly said in a somewhat sad tone.

That statement caused a downward cast no one seemed to notice was coming from Kallen.

"So what was the cure?" Shirley asked curiously.

"No one knows, Lady Rebecca always said that 'if she told us, it would ruin the mystery.' in a sly tone." Lelouch said nostalgically

Shirley took the photo of Lady Rebecca that Joseph had on him and looked at it.

"Is this Lady Rebecca? She has a very kind face." Shirley said in a sweet tone.

"Yes she does." Lelouch agreed as he looked at the black and white photo that showed Lady Rebecca holding a baby Joseph.

She had smooth tannish skin and silk brown hair and a sweet smile on his face as she looked upon her child with so much love. She had a silk dress on, nothing flashy but pretty.

Lady Rebecca was one of the only Emperor's consorts that Lelouch actually liked. She treated him and Nunnally like they were her own children and would often watch them when his mother was out of town on business. Always giving them the same suffocating hugs that Joseph would.

He even held admiration for her. While she was nobility, she chose to use her status to invest in companies and non-profit organizations, whereas most nobles would spend their wages frivolously on parties and flashy clothes that made them look ridiculous.

Not Lady Rebecca, she chose to live in a small two bedroom home that kept her and Joseph nice and comfy.

And she was one who had a big bark and bite when it came to pranks, Lelouch remembered the one time she dosed Cassius' drink with laxatives at a party for picking on him and Nunnally while their mother wasn't looking. Everybody could hear him spewing his pants that night.

"For a while, Joseph's come back from near death was a sensation. Media called him the 'Miracle Prince', fan mail was sent to Lady Rebecca and nobles wanted to be in her company. That is until, they all realized the effects the birth had on his brain." Milly explained.

"His brain?" Nina asked

"Due to the lack of oxygen his brain was getting, half it was, and probably still is, just dead matter inside his skull."

"Oh no..." Shirley said sadly.

"So that's why he talks like that? He just can't learn to function new words?" Kallen asked.

"He knows the words that need to be said, I think it's more the brain won't let him process it into speech, so he does so in the fewest words possible. He can still take his experiences and learn from them, it's just more internal than external. If anything, it's his personality that won't mature, not his thinking." Lelouch explained as best as he could to them.

"Wow, that's really something else." Rivalz said.

"Indeed...and of course, like true Britannian fashion. They made a mockery of him. They scorned him for existing, they spewed hatred for Lady Rebecca, saying she should have just let him die. From the 'Miracle Prince', he became 'The Dimwitted Prince.' Lelouch said with anger.

The student council looked at him in shock, Milly looked down in sadness.

"B-but it's not her fault he ended up like that. She wanted her child to live, how could they scorn her for that?" Suzaku asked.

"In case you forgotten Britannia's policy Suzaku, it's 'The Strong survive while the Weak are Devoured.' And everybody, the media, the nobles, even his family, saw him as weak." Lelouch said grimly.

"The nerve of some people, doing that to a poor child and his mother!" Shirley exclaimed, angry that her own country would do something like that. Even Kallen looked angry too.

"Yes...thankfully not everyone in his family shared that ideal. While I only saw them on occasions, Princesses Cornelia and Euphemia were both quite fond of Joseph and maintained a good relationship with him. And as I said before, me and Lelouch would often visit him and his mother, making many fond memories." Milly continued.

"Is that why he called you 'little bro', Lelouch? Rivalz asked.

This caused Lelouch's eyes to widen.

"What?" Lelouch asked, not sure he heard that right.

"When he first came in here, he called you 'little bro'. Is it because you two hung out all the time?" Rivals asked.

Lelouch panicked for a second before calming down.

_"I forgot he said that, damn it Joseph!"_ Lelouch thought angrily. Still, Rivalz did just give him the perfect excuse.

"Uh, yeah. After a few visits, he started calling me that, the name just stuck. And he was like a big brother at times actually. Always looking after Nunnally and me, playing games with us, giving us a dance or two." Lelouch remembered happily.

"Dance?" Shirley asked.

"That's something Joseph will have to show you in person." Lelouch said as he chuckled at the Student Council's confusion.

...

_Lelouch's bathroom_

Joseph happily let the warm water rinse the dirt off his body. It had been so long since he had a shower like this, and he was enjoying every second of it.

Still, one thought kept coming back to him.

_"Why is Lelouch keeping his identity a secret, is it because he's a superhero now? And why didn't he mention Lady Marianne? So many questions to ask!"_

But Joseph was sure he would get them soon.

...

_Student Council Meeting Room_

"So wait, why did he leave Pendragon then?" Rivalz asked.

Lelouch's face became one of sadness again, as did Milly.

"Around the time Joseph was 13, Lady Rebecca was unfortunately struck with Leukemia." Lelouch sadly said

He vividly remembered Lady Rebecca coughing up blood on the dance floor and Joseph catching her as she fell to the ground, screaming "MOM!"

"No..." Shirley said as tears started to come out of the corners of her eyes.

"Ah man." Rivalz said sadly, now feeling bad he bluntly asked about Joseph's condition.

Suzaku just looked down in sadness.

"For awhile, Joseph was heartbroken. He barely ate, he didn't talk to anyone, he always had a slumped posture." Lelouch continued.

"How did he learn to move forward?" Suzaku asked.

"We're actually not sure. One day he walked off without telling anyone where he was going, some time later, he came back and was all cheerful again. Whenever one of us asked what happened, he just give us that same smile Lady Rebecca would give us and say 'No ruin mystery.'" Lelouch explained.

...

_Lelouch's Bathroom_

After Joseph stepped out of the shower, he saw a pair of clean clothes waiting for him, as well as a shaving kit. There was a note attached that said "For when you're done." signed by Sayoko. Joseph smiled.

_"What a nice woman. I can see why Lelouch recruited her into his superhero team. Now, let's see if I know how to do this._" Joseph thought to himself as he grabbed the scissors.

...

_Student Council Meeting Room_

"It was after that, Cornelia decided to enroll in classes for Etiquette. He was a Prince after all, and she expected just as much. And I'm sure after what you've seen from his character, Joseph was not the type of guy interested in any of that. But Cornelia insisted and he begrudgingly went along with it...for awhile." Milly continued.

"Until one day he had enough and decided to leave." Lelouch finished.

"Like he denounced his royal name?" Rivalz asked.

"No, more like he one day just decided to pack his belongings in his coat and announced that he was leaving." Lelouch said in a casual manner.

"...that's it?" Kallen asked

"That's it. He said his goodbyes to his loved ones and went on to leave." Lelouch said.

"But...why?" Shirley couldn't help but ask.

"Because I think he wanted what his mother always wanted for him. Happiness. Not to be barred down by the emperor and the royal family and do what was expected of him, he wanted to be free to make his own choices and follow his own path despite the consequences that might have followed. And perhaps he got what he wanted, because all these later, he's still that same ball of energy he was seven years ago." Lelouch said.

"...Wow, that's really nice actually. I can understand wanting to have that." Milly said with a subtle sad tone

Lelouch just nodded.

"Soooooo, how did he end up here then?" Rivalz asked.

"Well remember that day we went to shinjuku-" Lelouch started to explain before being interrupted

"When you ditched me." Rivalz said in annoyed tone

"Y-yes... do you remember the man we saw walking on the ledge of the highway?" Lelouch asked.

"Yeah, what about...oh shit, that was him wasn't it!?" Rivalz realized.

"What he's talking about?" Shirley asked.

"After another one of our gambling trips, me and Rivalz both saw a figure on the highway back to Ashford. This figure looked similar, and wanting to scratch that itch of curiosity, I decided to investigate. Turns out it was indeed Joseph and we got reacquainted. I told him if he ever wanted to stop by and visit he could. Though, if I had realized he was going to make his entrance the way he did, I would asked him to use the front door." Lelouch explained, but then he noticed something.

Kallen was gone.

"Uh, where did Kallen go?" Lelouch asked.

"Oh, she said she had to go to the bathroom." Nina said.

_"Shit...__"_ Lelouch thought to himself, considering she was technically a "terrorist", a prince in the same place as her could be seen as an all out prize for her group.

"Well I better go check to see if Joseph is having a hard time shaving. He didn't have much of a beard the last time I saw him." Lelouch said as he went on his way to prevent Kallen from making a grave mistake.

...

_Hallways_

Kallen was usually not one for kidnapping, but when it came to Japan's freedom, she was willing to try anything. Milly herself said that the Viceroy had a good relationship with this Prince Joseph. If she could get her hands on him for this Zero guy, they could use him as a negotiating tool. She pulled out her hidden pouch knife, she didn't want to hurt the guy as she did actually gain some sympathy for him, now knowing more about his past, that killer instinct gone. But she also remembered how he broke the entire window with just his fists so she wasn't taking any chances.

_"Now let's see, Lelouch's room was here __somewhe-"_

BAM!

A door swung open and hit her square in the face. She hit the ground with a red mark on her face in pain.

"Ow..." Kallen quietly said in agony

It's then she heard singing.

_"You can't say 'pfft' on the radio_

_You can't say 'pfft' on the radio..."_

Joseph walked out of the room with him still putting his new shirt on, and Kallen eyes widen when she saw what were more scars and bruises on his chest and abdomen.

_"What the hell has this guy been through?_" Kallen asked herself.

Outside of that, he actually had a pretty nice build on him. He still had his beard but it was much shorter than before and he had his hair styled like Star-Lord from _Guardians of the Galaxy_.

_"Damn, he's actually not that bad looking..."_ Kallen thought as her cheeks flushed.

It was then Joseph saw her on the ground. A wide smile grew on his face.

"Oh hey! Red-haired girl!" Joseph exclaimed as he helped Kallen up.

"It's Kallen." She quietly said, wanting to maintain her "sickly persona".

"Right! So, question. Zero, what like?" Joseph asked.

"...I'm sorry, I don't understand." Kallen said in a confused but fearful tone.

"Zero! Work with! Helped Suzaku escape!" Joseph said in excitement.

Kallen eyes widen in shock and fear at this statement.

"How did you..."

"Same red hair." Joseph simply said as he pointed to her hair.

_"My giveaway was simply my damn hair!"_ Kallen thought angrily as she brought her pouch closer to Joseph. There was no way she was getting ratted out by a moron!

"You and Zero, so Awesome!" Joseph exclaimed.

This halted Kallen's thinking process.

"Huh?!" Was all Kallen could say.

"Yeah, the rescue, so badass! When Zero did (does a snapping motion) and car (makes a noise describing the car revealing the bomb) then all three (jumps in the air down to the ground and back up again to emphasize when they jumped off the bridge into the trampoline that was set up.)So cool!" Joseph exclaimed.

Kallen could only watch him in dumbfoundedness as she had no idea what to make of this. Then all of sudden, he came close to her and squeezed her cheeks together.

"Listen Kallen. Sidekick now. Sidekick important to Superhero. Zero equals Superhero. Therefore! Zero's sidekick. Must not let down. Must be there beckon call! The flaps in the night! Garfunkel to Simon! The Doo to Scooby!" Joseph exclaimed as he shaked her head back in forth before bringing her in close to his eyes.

"Don't. Screw. Up." Joseph said in quiet intensity.

"Uhhhhh..." Was all Kallen could say in quiet fear.

"Don't worry. Give trust, get trust. Doing good." Joseph said in a reassuring tone as he let go of her cheeks and gave her a thumbs up.

Kallen was completely flabbergasted

"Is everything okay here?" A voice asked.

Kallen turned around and saw it was Lelouch, looking just as confused as her. Before she could get a word in, an arm suddenly wrapped around her neck and tugged her close to Joseph, mushing their faces together.

"Making new friends!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Um, okay? Well, how about you come and officially meet the student council." Lelouch suggested as he gestured them to follow him.

"Cool beans." Joseph responded as he let go of Kallen before taking her hand and tugging her in his direction at a quick pace.

_"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!"_ Kallen yelled in her head.

_To be continued..._

***Whew* That one took me a while. So now Joseph has found Lelouch and "met" his student council friends while also giving "advice" to Kallen about being a sidekick. This chapter was intended to go on longer but I didn't want to keep postponing adding a new chapter any longer, so here's the first half of Joseph making new friends with the student council. I also wanted to give a bit of an insight to Joseph's backstory and his mother, which will be explored more in later chapters. As for the explanation of how his brain functions, just so all of you know, I'M NOT A DOCTOR NOR DO I HAVE ANY MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE, HIS BRAIN CONDITION IS JUST SOMETHING I MADE UP. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the chapter and send a comment if you have any thoughts.**


	7. Making New Friends! Part 2

_Student Council Room_

"Man, I've only seen my dad use one of these. I thought it was just an old person's thing." Rivalz said as he examined Joseph's Walkman

"He has a lot of music too; I'm surprised he's able to carry all these cassettes in just his coat." Shirley said looking at the tapes.

"It was his mother's actually. He inherited it after she passed, same with her coat." Milly happily explained.

"Coat?" Rivalz asked.

"Yes, the coat he was wearing was Lady Rebecca's." Milly explained further.

"…So he's wearing women's clothes?" Rivalz asked bluntly.

"Rivalz!" Shirley scorned while pinching his ear.

"What?! I'm just asking!" Rivalz tried to explain.

"I think it's nice he keeps mementos of his mother, a way of keeping her memory alive." Suzaku said as his mind drifts back to his father's watch.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. How do you know Joseph, Suzaku?" Rivalz asked.

"Indeed, I am also curious about this. And as your president, I demand you tell us!" Milly ordered.

"Uh, well…" Suzaku started to explain, surprised by the sudden attention.

But before he could go on, he heard the doors open. It was Lelouch and Joseph, who was tugging Kallen by the hand.

"Old training buddy!" Joseph answered as he let go of Kallen and went over to the sitting Suzaku.

"Taught under same sensei. Get here you!" Joseph exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around Suzaku's head and gave him a noogle.

"Noogle, noogle, noogle…" Joseph chanted

"Okay, okay, it's good to see you too Joseph." Suzaku said in muffled breath, and was happy to see Joseph in good health(so to speak.)

The student council couldn't help but laugh at Suzaku's playful predicament. Nobody seem to notice Kallen's confused expression though.

"Joseph, how about you meet the student council." Lelouch suggested with a small smile.

"Sure." Joseph said as he let go of Suzaku.

"You already know Milly, she's the president of the student council." Lelouch said as he gestured to Milly, who smiled gently at him.

"It's good to see you Joseph, I missed you." Milly said as she hugged Joseph, which he gladly returned, not too tight like before.

"You too Milly-Billy." Joseph said, which made Milly giggle at the nickname he gave her.

"How Reuben?" Joseph asked.

"He's good, he'll be happy to know you're okay." Milly answered happily.

"Cool. Still balding? Bald people cool." Joseph casually said. Which Milly couldn't help but laugh at.

"The top of his head is completely smooth, and I'll be sure to give him the compliment." Milly said.

"This is Shirley Fenette, captain of the school's swimming team." Lelouch then gestured to Shirley.

"A pleasure to meet you, your highness." Shirley courtesy like one should in front of royalty.

"Nah, nah. No "highness." Joseph brushed off before pulling a surprised Shirley into a tight hug.

"Good ole cup of Joe! Friend of Lelouch, friend of me!" Joseph said with affection.

"You're very kind." Shirley under strangled breath.

Joseph put her down and examined her for a moment, which confused Shirley. To which Joseph then looked at Lelouch.

"Good girlfriend Lelouch." Joseph said, giving him a thumbs up.

"WHAT!" Lelouch and Shirley exclaimed at the same time, making Milly bawl with laughter.

"Nononononono, we're just friends!" Lelouch and Shirley exclaimed at the same time again, red in the face.

"…You sure?" Joseph asked, not quite believing it.

"Yes!" Lelouch and Shirley exclaimed at the same time _**again**_. To which Joseph shrugged and said "Ok." with a dopey smile. Lelouch just sighed.

"Hey, I'm Rivalz Cardemonde, the Secretary! You need anything, I'm your guy!" Rivalz chimed in, putting his hand out for Joseph to shake. To which he did, in very fast motion.

"Joseph Du Britannia, pleasure to meet Riv-alz!" Joseph said. This confused Rivalz.

"It's Rivalz." He corrected.

"What I say?" Joseph asked confused.

"Riv-alz." Rivalz answered.

"Right. Riv-alz." Joseph said happily.

"N-no, it's Rivalz. Like 'Rival" but-eh, nevermind." Rivalz said defeated, while Milly had to hold back a giggle.

"This is Nina Einstein, she's basically our scientist." Lelouch gestured to Nina while also holding back his own laughter.

"H-hello…" Nina said in a shy, quiet voice.

To which Joseph walked over to her and bent down so he was at the same height as her.

"Nice to meet." Joseph said in a gentle voice and stuck his hand out to her without being forceful about it.

This surprised Nina but she took his hand and shook it with a smile.

"And you already know Suzaku and Kallen, they're the newest members." Lelouch gestured to them, Suzaku nodded and Kallen did a small wave.

"So, you mentioned Suzaku was your old training buddy, and that you had the same 'sensei'?" Rivalz asked, as it was clear he never heard that term before.

"Sensei Tohdoh Kyoshiro!" Joseph exclaimed happily.

This surprised the student council, including Lelouch.

"You mean Tohdoh of Miracles, that Tohdoh!?" Kallen asked surprised. Suzaku was surprised himself that Kallen was aware of who Tohdoh was.

"Yep-per-rooni! Great guy! Wonder what up to?" Joseph thought to himself.

"_Guess he's not aware of the Four Holy Swords either."_ Suzaku thought to himself.

"When was this exactly?" Lelouch asked.

"Long before the invasion, he was 12 and I was 8. He with us at The Kururugi Shrine for a month while he trained with us." Suzaku reminisced.

Truthfully, Suzaku was very jealous of Joseph when he came to train with them. He took all his training without ever getting tired or angry while Suzaku felt like he could collapse at any moment at the end of the day. He thought Joseph was cheating somehow in his exercises but it seemed like it was his ball of energy that kept him going 24/7.

"Apparently it was part of this six-month trip his mother was taking him on." Suzaku explained.

"Ah, good time." Joseph chimed in as he sat down.

"_Oh yeah, I forgot about that trip Joseph and his mother took to help him with "self-defense and mind-broadening" as Lady Rebecca put it."_ Lelouch thought to himself.

"Is that how you learned Japanese." Milly asked.

"Masani(exactly)-mundo." Joseph said with a-ok sign.

"Speaking of which, how long have you been in Japan exactly, Joe?" Lelouch asked.

"Hmmm…" Joseph thought to himself as he started counting his fingers to try and come up with the number.

"Three weeks." Joseph answered casually while holding up three fingers.

This confused the Student Council.

"Then…where were you before?" Lelouch asked.

"Here(points in one direction), there(points in another direction), everywhere(spins around his chair)" Joseph explained nonsensically.

"Define 'everywhere'?" Kallen asked.

Joseph put his finger on his chin, as if thinking of a way to best explain it. He looked around before his eyes set on a world map on the wall. He smiled and strutted his way towards the map.

"Here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here…" Joseph repeated as he pointed to different countries on the map.

While the student council was astounded that's he had made so many travels. They could see this was going to go on for awhile. Lelouch decided to step in.

"Uh, Joseph…" Lelouch spoke up.

"Here, here, here, here, here-" Joseph continued

"Joe. We get it." Lelouch said.

"Oh, cool."

"That's pretty amazing you traveled to so many places. How did you do it?" Shirley asked.

"Walking." Joseph casually said.

The student council looked at him as if they didn't hear him correctly.

"No, really. How did you do it?" Rivalz asked.

"Walking. Sometimes boat, hitchhike, buffalo. Mostly walk" Joseph said as he sat back down.

The council looked at him as if he grew a second head, especially at the mention of a "buffalo".

"You went from country to country by _walking_?" Milly asked in shock.

"Yep. Got footsteps in!" Joseph exclaimed as he lifted his foot up to gesture so.

The council couldn't believe it.

"How-wha-why you would do that?! You could permanently damage your feet doing so!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"Nuh-uh. Strengthening. Saw on TV." Joseph came back with as if it was obvious.

Lelouch could only sigh.

"Wow. That's pretty impressive. I can only imagine how much you've seen. Of course I'm sure you've seen plenty judging from your…" Rivalz started to drop his statement when he realized he might have been asking a sensitive question about his scars and the missing pinkie finger, especially from the look he was getting from Shirley.

Joseph looked down wondering what he was gesturing at.

"Oh, scars and finger?" Joseph asked casually as he brought up the hand with the half missing pinkie.

"Y-yeah…" Rivalz said ashamed.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Shirley said gently.

"Nah, no big deal. Crowbar, bat, knife, knife, gunshot, burn…" Joseph said as he pointed to each scar and wound explaining the weapon of choice. When he got to his missing pinkie, he said 'Machete."

He lifted up his up shirt to reveal more of his scars and wound and went on explaining how he got them with single words such as 'knife', 'axe', 'rock', 'sniper'. Then he turned his back around to reveal even _**more **_scars.

"Whip, whip, whip, another whip…" Joseph said as he pointed to the scars on his body.

The council could only looked in shock and sadness. Shirley started to get tears in her eyes while Lelouch started to seeth in anger that his brother had to endear this torment and he wasn't able to do anything about it.

Finally, after showing more wounds, Shirley couldn't take it anymore and rushed over to Joseph and hugged him tightly, which surprised Joseph. Milly came over and hugged him too.

"You poor thing. How could this world treat you so cruelly?" Shirley said as tears went down her eyes.

Milly could only nod in agreement as tears were in the corners of her own eyes.

"_Damn it all! We should have done more to persuade him to stay!" _Lelouch argued in his head.

Kallen herself looked at him with pity. While she wasn't a fan of Britannians, or royals for that matter, she would never want someone to go through that.

"Hey, hey. A-Ok." Joseph gently said as he patted the backs of Shirley and Milly.

"Got health, music(grabbing his Walkman), and mom's coat." Joseph said with reassuring glee.

The council couldn't help but be surprise with how okay Joseph was with his physical condition. But before they could continue, the door opened with Sayoko entering with a much cleaner version of Joseph's coat.

This caused Joseph to jump in glee, surprising Shirley and Milly.

"Coat!" Joseph said with glee as she rushed over to Sayoko and grabbed his coat. Hugging it with all his might, then he notices a scent coming from it and took a sniff.

"Blossoms." Joseph said happily.

"I took the liberty of patching up the holes and steam pressing it so it's more comfortable for you to wear." Sayoko explained.

Joseph put it on and wrapped himself in a hug. The coat sort of gave him that homeless look again but at least he looked cleaner.

"Like mom…" Joseph said quietly with a smile.

He came up to Sayoko and gently hugged her, which surprised her, but then she smiled and returned the hug in kind. They pulled away and she turned to look at Sayoko.

"Let me know if there's anything else you need Master Lelouch." Sayoko said.

"Of course, Sayoko, thank you." Lelouch said with a smile.

She took her leave, and Joseph went back over to the table to put his stuff back in his pockets. He took the picture of his mother and kissed it again.

"Love you." Joseph said to the photo before folding it again and putting it back in his inner coat pocket.

The council couldn't help but "aww" at that.

"Your mother is very beautiful Joseph." Shirley said.

"Beautiest, bestiest." Joseph happily replied.

"Milly and Lelouch told us what happened to her. We're really sorry." Rivalz said sadly, Shirley nodded in agreement.

"…Yeah…" Joseph said as he looked down sadly but then he quickly perked up.

"Ok though, in Heaven, watching." Joseph said in a reassuring tone as he looked up and pointed at the ceiling.

Again, the council looked at him surprised by the sudden mood change of his, but decided not to push.

Joseph moved over to his cassettes and started to grab those and put them in his coat pockets.

"So…Lelouch told me you used to do little dances for him and Nunnally when you were kids. What did he mean exactly?" Shirley asked, wanting to change the subject.

This caused Joseph to jerk his head towards her and a wide smile grew on his face. Shirley was little freaked by it to be honest.

"Here we go…" Lelouch said with anticipation but also hint of fear. This confused the student council(except Milly) as they had no idea what was about happen.

Joseph turned back to his cassettes and grabbed one that said "_Music with Moves_" and inserted it into the Walkman.

To which they started to hear piano music, which Joseph was intimating on the table. When more beats started to chime in, he started walking towards Rivalz, a small kick in each step to go with the beat. The council was looking at him curiously while Milly was starting to quietly snicker and Lelouch just shook his head with a small smile on his face.

And that's when the first lyric kicked in.

"_I went to the Moped store, said ***k it"_

(Joseph was now lip-syncing to the lyrics and crouching down next to Rivalz, as if talking to him)

"_Salesman's like: 'What up, what's your budget"_

(Joseph went to RIvalz's other side and continued to lip-sync as if he's talking to somebody on the other side.)

"_And I'm like, 'Honestly I don't know nothing about Mopeds."_

(Joseph lip-syncs back to Rivalz's other side.)

"_He said, 'I got the one for you, follow me!"_

(Back to Rivalz other side, pointing at Rivalz's nose and then sticking his thumb out in a different direction and walking away from him. Leaving Rivalz with plenty of WTF thoughts.)

"_Oooooo, it's too real._

_Chromed out mirror, I don't need a windshield._

_Banana seat, a canopy on two wheels_

_Eight hundred cash, that's a hell of a deal"_

(Joseph stands up again, acting out as if he's looking at an actual Moped and talking about it.)

"_I'm headed __**downtown**__, cruising through the alley_

_**Tip-toeing**__ in the street like Dally_

_**Pulled up**__, moped to the valley_

_**Whitewalls**__ on the wheels like mayonnaise"_

(Joseph then started to dance around the table of students, striking a pose every time a new lyric started)

"_DOPE…_

(Joseph bends backwards where he's inches away from the ground before quickly whipping back up towards Lelouch's face, mere inches away from his face, surprising him)

_My crew is ill, and all we need is two good wheels_

(Joseph slowly backs away and turns to address the council)

_Got gas in the tank, cash in the bank_

(Imitates putting gas into a car then put his hands in his pockets to gesture he has a lot of money)

_I'mma lick that, stick that, break her off, Kit-Kat_

(Closes in on Shirley, then Kallen, then Nina, and then finally Rivalz all while lip-syncing as they were surprised by his quick speed to approach them and the breaking of their personal space.)_  
_

_Snuck her in backstage, you don't need a wristband_

(Joseph spins around and moves backward, not realizing he heads right out of the shattered window)

"Joe!" Lelouch shouted as the student council rushed over to the window to see if he was alright. To which Joseph got right back up and right into Lelouch's face again.

"_Dope_

_Cut the bullshit_

_Get off my mullet_

_Stone washed, so raw_

_Moped like a bullet"_

(Joseph grabs Lelouch's uniform and pushes him back as if interrogating him while lip-syncing the lyrics.)

"_You can't catch me_

_A po-po can't reprimand me_

(Joseph then quickly runs around Lelouch, pointing at himself in a cool fashion, continuing to lipsync)

_I'm in a B-Boy stance, I'm not dancing_

_I got your girl on the back going tandem_

_'Cause I'm too damn quick, I'm too damn slick_

_Whole downtown yelling out who that is?"_

(Joseph keeps strutting out the moves while the taking the rest of his stuff off the table and making his way out the door, leaving the student council behind in a very confused matter.)

"We should probably follow him." Lelouch suggested as he started walking towards the door.

"Where is he even going?" Kallen asked, probably not even sure what is normal anymore.

"Who knows." Lelouch was all said tiredly.

They make their way out the door to see Joseph continuing to dance and lip-sync towards the front doors.

"_I got one girl, I got two wheels_

_She a big girl, that ain't a big deal_

_I like a big girl, I like 'em sassy_

_Going down the backstreet listening to Blackstreet_

(Joseph moves around the council in a funky fashion, even putting his arms around Shirley and Rivalz looking at them back and forth while continuing to lipsync. Shirley and Rivalz are less freaked out by his behavior and just more confused now)

_Running around the whole town_

_Neighbors yelling at me like, you need to slow down_

_Going thirty-eight, Dan, chill the fuck out_

_Mow your damn lawn and sit the hell down"_

(Joseph dances his way towards the doors and at the word "down", he kicks the front doors open, surprising the council and the students outside.)

"_If I only had one helmet I would give it to __**you**__, give it to __**you**_

_Cruising down Broadway, girl, what a wonderful __**view**__, wonderful __**view**_

_There's layers to this shit player, __**tiramisu**__, __**tiramisu**_

_Let my coat-tail drag but I ain't tearing my __**suit**__, tearing my __**suit**__"_

(Joseph hops on the stairs one step at a time at the words: "you", "view", "tiramisu", and "suit".)

"_Downtown, downtown (downtown)_

_Downtown, downtown_

(Joseph then puts a rockstar persona, acting as if his Walkman is a microphone and pretend screaming into it.)

_She has her arms around your waist_

_With a balance that will keep her safe_

(He then comes over to Suzaku and wraps his arm around waist and put his cheek next to Suzaku's cheek in a romantic way that makes Suzaku go red and feel very awkward. Milly snickering from the side. Students are starting to gather around wondering what's going on.)

_Have you ever felt the warm embrace_

(Joseph then lets go of Suzaku and runs backwards and jumps onto the water fountain the school has.)

_Of the leather seat between your legs_

(Joseph pulls out his legs as if to emphasize there's something there.)

_Downtown_

(Joseph than raises his fist in the air in pure Freddy Mercury-style)

_You don't want no beef, boy_

_Know I run the streets, boy_

_Better follow me towards_

_Downtown_

_What you see is what you get girl_

_Don't ever forget girl_

_Ain't seen nothing yet until you're_

_Downtown"_

(Joseph moonwalks around on the fountain, striking a pose with his arms with each beat. Before circling back to the council. And finally ending the song with waving his arms out in the air as far they could go and bending his head back to drenching it in the fountain water that was pouring down and then snapping it back towards them.)

"Whoo!" Joseph shouts to the air.

He takes a few breaths after his "performance" and looks at the council with a huge smile on his face.

Milly immediately gives him an applause, as does Lelouch with a shake of his head and small smile on his face. The council is still a little shell-shocked by what they just witnessed. The students who were watching were wondering if he just came out of a looney bin.

Joseph gives small bow before jumping off the fountain.

"Well, I certainly never seen anything like that before." Shirley said, not quite sure what else to say.

"Cool." Joseph replied with a dopey smile.

"Freak!" Somebody yelled from a distance.

"Thank you!" Joseph yelled back.

"Hey! Don't be mean!" Shirley also yelled back.

The person who yelled that was a guy wearing a bandana with his sleeves up, he was being followed by a tall guy with blue hair in a ponytail. Suzaku recognized them from when he and Princess Euphemia visited the Shinjuku ghetto, and the slap she left behind on the bandana's guy's face.

"I think you made a wrong turn buddy. The retard facility is a block down that way." The bandana guy joked, getting a laugh from his ponytail friend.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at them and tighten his fist. Really wishing he could use his geass to command these guys to go die in a ditch.

"Hey! Watch your mouth, man!" Rivalz angrily said to the Bandana guy.

The Bandana guy ignored him.

"What gives Milly? First you let this Eleven join your student council, and now you're letting this bum walk and dance around on campus?" Bandana guy asked.

Milly narrowed her eyes and was about to respond when Joseph stepped in.

"Excuse me. No-no word, please apologize." Joseph said casually.

"Apologize?!" Bandana man yelled, angry that he was asked such a thing.

"Yeah. Sorry." Joseph explained in a casual tone.

"Look you bum, I don't know who you think you are, but I don't I have to do anything I don't want to do. So I suggest you buzz off before I make you!" The guy said in a pissed off tone.

That's when Suzaku decided to step in.

"Guys come on, there's no need for violence." Suzaku said trying to water down the fire.

"Mind your own damn business, Eleven!" The Bandana guy said.

He was about to push him away when Joseph bent his head down in front of Suzaku's chest. Which led to the guy's hand pushing Joseph's face instead.

Except Joseph's face didn't get pushed back, instead the Bandana guy pushed himself back against Joseph's face. Ending up with him slipping on the ground and landing on his face.

Suzaku and the rest of the student council blinked at this, not sure what just happened.

"What the-? Why you!" The Bandana guy said as he got back up and threw a punch at Joseph in the face, who made no moves to dodge it.

The impact of the punch resulted in very bruised, possibly broken knuckles for the Bandana guy. Joseph however, wasn't fazed by it.

"OW! The Hell?! Is your face made out of steel or something?!" The Bandana man exclaimed in agony as he held his bruised hand.

The guy with the ponytail this time tried to kick Joseph in the chest, resulting in him clutching his foot while hopping on the other with Joseph still be unfazed by it.

The student council and spectators were surprised by this.

"You better watch your back, you retarded bum!" The Bandana guy said as he and the ponytail guy, who was limping, left.

"Hmph, no party invites there." Was all Joseph said as he crossed his arms like a parent would if they were scolding a child.

"Joe...how did you do that?" Lelouch asked, surprised by his brother lack of registration that he got hit.

"Do what?" Joseph asked casually.

"You took that punch and kick like it was nothing!" Kallen exclaimed, forgetting about her 'sickly' persona for a moment.

"Eh, built endurance. Also bad punch. No feel." Joseph said as if it was nothing.

"Now Suzaku. Good punch." He said as he pulled Suzaku over and patted him on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't say that, I just train frequently is all." Suzaku countered with awkwardly.

It's then they hear a stomach growl, which is coming from Joseph.

"Oop, hungry." Joseph said as he reached into his pocket and grabbed one of the plastic baggies that had unidentifiable material in it.

"Uh, what is that if I may ask?" Nina asked.

"Tree bark." Joseph casually as he opened the bag and took out a piece of said tree bark.

"Tree bark? Like actual bark from a tree?" Shirley asked in shock.

"Yep. Good protein. Grass too" Joseph said as he took a loud bite from the bark and made noisy crunching sounds from chewing on it.

The noises caused the council to grimace in disgust.

"Uh...Joe, when's the last time you've had...well...food." Milly asked as Joseph took another bite from the tree bark.

Joseph answered by waving the tree bark while continuing to chew.

"No, not tree bark or any other plant material. When is the last time you've had an actual meal? On a plate?" Lelouch emphasized as real concern was starting to build up.

Joseph thought about it.

"Six weeks." Joseph said casually.

The council was now shellshocked.

"WHAT!" The council all exclaimed at the same time.

"Dude! How are you even alive!?" Rivalz asked.

"Tree bark. Grass. Berries on bushes." Joseph said as if it was obvious while putting away his bark, wanting to save it for later.

"No, no, no, no, no, NO! That is unacceptable sir! We are going to get **_actual_** food in that stomach, right now! Come on guys!" Shirley exclaimed as she grabbed a confused Joseph's arm and dragged him out to the front gates.

"What about school?" Nina asked nervously.

"As student president, I declare us able to leave early!" Milly commanded.

...

_Tokyo Settlement_

After the student council realized that Joseph only had 37 cents on him and every restaurant didn't want to have "a bum" in their location, they decided the best thing to do was simply go to the hotdog vendor and all get some hotdogs, which Lelouch paid for. They insisted on giving him an "overflow", which is basically a hotdog with everything on it. They also insisted he eat two, which he did with no complaint, just a simple "ok" with a his dopey smile.

***BURP* **

That was the sound that came out of Joseph's mouth after drinking down some soda, the council couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Better out than in I always say." Joseph says in a faux-sottish accent.

"I can believe all these years you lived on material that animals would eat." Lelouch said with regret in his voice. Joseph just shrugged.

"Here before us. Masters of universe." Joseph said dramatically, which made Milly giggle.

"You really have not changed a bit." Milly said sweetly.

"Nope." Joseph replied with a dopey smile.

"So, you lived in Area 11 before the Britannia colonized it? What was it like then?" Shirley asked curiously

"Hmmm. Good food. Cool religion. Interesting clothes. Awesome cartoons." Joseph answered with a smile at the last one.

"Cartoons?" Rivalz asked.

"Anime. Best ever! Dragon Ball Z! Cowboy Bebop! Bleach! Naruto! AMAZING! Now...pffft!" Joseph said making a fart noise with a thumbs down.

"I never heard of any those, but now you wanna make me check them out! Suzaku, are they still available?" Rivalz asked.

"I don't think so. Britannia chose to extradite any Japanese material that wasn't deemed necessary to the area." Suzaku said sadly, Kallen also had her head down in anger.

"Pssssh. Morons." Joseph said in an outlandish way, surprising the council by his blatant comment of his own country. He then took his walkman and put in his "_Walking Music_" again.

"Wait, you're going to play your music now?" Kallen asked.

"Why _not _play music _now_?" Joseph came back with a smug smile and pressing the play button.

The music started off with horns like someone was about to be introduced. Then violins started to kick in, Joseph bent his legs up and down with the beat of the violins. And the first lyric kicked in:

"_IIIIIIIIIII've_

_got no strings_

_To hold me down_

_To make me fret_

_Or make me frown_

(Joseph lip-syncs with each lyric while walking/dancing along the park, make precision steps on the squares of the ground and watching for any cracks. The council watches him more in amusement than bewilderment now.)

_I had strings_

_But now I'm free_

_There are no strings on me"_

(Joseph takes left turn out of the the park and gives a random guy, who was trying to hail a taxi, a high five. The guy gives him a WTF look while some of the council just snicker as they follow him)

_"Hi-ho the me-ri-o_

_That's the only way to go_

(Joseph slaps on some walls and newspaper carriers to match with beat of the music)

_I want the world to know_

_Nothing ever worries me_

(Joseph hops onto a city bench, tiptoeing on it. Then hopping off and doing a quick spin. The people in the city look at him like he's mad but he doesn't notice and the council choose to ignore them.)

_I've got no strings_

_So I have fun_

_I'm not tied up to anyone_

_They've got strings_

_But you can see_

_There are no strings on me"_

(Joseph continues to walk and dance while lip-syncing, making his way around people with ease. Not minding the looks he was getting.)

Suddenly Joseph stops out of nowhere as a quiet xylophone started to play. He turns around to look at the council and tilts towards them, putting his finger to his lips as if to shush them, while smiling. He looks at them for moment, making them confused.

Then suddenly he claps his hands as the sound of cymbals bang together, matching the impact they made, thus jump scaring the council. Joseph moves his arms back and forth in the air, matching with the horns.

Then suddenly the music becomes intense and Joseph starts to run away from them, surprising the council.

"Joseph, where are you going!?" Shirley yelled as she and the rest of council ran after him.

"Who knows!" Joseph responded with as he swiftly dodged people he ran past. The council was having trouble keeping up with him but he made sure not to run too fast as he didn't want to lose them in the city. The intense music caused Joseph to shake his head around like a rockstar and spinning around while still running, this time the people walking past had to make sure to dodge _him_.

He finally stopped at a crosswalk when the music turn into a soft single horn playing. The council caught up with him, Lelouch being the last of them, making sure to catch their breaths. For Lelouch, it was gasping breaths.

"Joe-" Lelouch tried to say before being stopped by Joseph, raising his finger, gesturing him to be quiet. He was staring attentively at the crosswalk light, which had the red hand symbol at the moment. The light then turned into the crosswalk symbol, causing Joseph to smile as he knew there was one lyric left in his song.

He walked onto the crosswalk, the council looking at him intent curiosity. Both parties not noticing the oncoming driver who was _not_ paying attention to what was on the road.

_"There are no strings__ on me!"_

Joseph managed to lip-sync that last lyric with his arms in the air.

One second later, he flips onto the car, breaking the windshield and then toppling down a few feet on the street when the car pushes on its breaks.

"JOSEPH!" Lelouch yelled as he and the rest of the student council ran over to Joseph's body.

"Joseph! Oh God, Milly, call 91-" Shirley shouted before being interrupted by Joseph suddenly sitting up, looking as if nothing had just happened.

"...1?" Was all Shirley could muster in shock, the rest of the council was just as flabbergasted.

The man driving the car got out, looked at his windshield, and then back at them with an angry look on his face.

"What in the hell!? Look at what your friend did to my windshield!" The man exclaimed.

"Excuse me!? You're the one who ran into HIM! You should be apologizing and be willing to take him to a hospital!" Kallen exclaimed, completely forgetting her "sickly" persona and getting into the man's face, surprising the council, even Lelouch, for he didn't expect her to come to Joseph's defense like that.

"Oh please! The only thing I'm going to do is call my lawyer and see to it that he pays every single-" The man didn't get to finish as Lelouch grabbed him by the collar and turning away to make sure the council didn't see his eyes.

"Sir. Do us a favor. Get in your car. Drive away. And never hassle anyone again!" Lelouch said as his eye flared with geass.

"Uh, sure." The man said relaxed, he got in his car and drove away.

This surprised the council, not Joseph though, he had a small smile on his face knowing what was up.

"Damn Lelouch, you sure can be intimidating when you want to." Rivalz said impressed by his friend's intense demeanor.

"It's just something I learned to pick up." Lelouch brushed off before going over to Joseph, who was being helped up by Suzaku and Shirley.

"Joe, are you alright?" Lelouch asked in concern.

Joseph cracks his neck back and forth and then puts up an "A-OK" sign and says "A-OK!" in a happy tone. Surprising the council.

"Dude! Are you some sort of superhuman!? You took that car head-on and you're up like it didn't even happen!" Rivalz exclaimed.

"Yes. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Nina asked.

"Nah. Just need stretch." Joseph said casually as he started stretching in a yoga manner.

The council could hear bones cracking, which weirded them out a bit.

After the last bone crack, Joseph stands straight back up again with a smile on his face.

"All good." Joseph said giving a thumbs up.

"Well...okay. Still, what a jerk that guy was." Milly said in a disgusted tone.

"Eh, no whoop." Joseph brushed off.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Kallen shouted at Joseph, confusing him and surprising the others.

"First you have all these scars and casually tell us how you got them, as if they're tiny scratches! Then you tell us that you haven't had a real meal in six weeks and been living off tree bark like it's an actual substitute, and when the managers at those restaurants didn't let you in because of your appearance, you brush it off like it's no big deal! Now you get hit by a car where the driver was willing to sue you, even though it was his fault, and you brush it of as 'No whoop."! Why are you treating your condition like it's no big deal, why are you acting like...(Kallen was quick to catch her tongue from saying "an Eleven") you don't care, you...strange...MAN!" Kallen ranted, not entirely sure how to end it, and completely throwing her "sickly" persona out the window.

The council, even Lelouch, looked at her with surprise. They had never seen her like this.

"Kallen..." Was all Milly could quietly churn out.

"Causssssee...I don't?" Joseph answered as if trying to guess the right answer.

This seem to piss Kallen off more as it looked like she was about to go on another rant before inhaling and holding her breath from saying anything she would really regret. She turns around and looks at the ground, thoughts whirling through her mind.

_"How can he not care?! How can he not retaliate from how mistreated he's been?! How can he act like the Honorary Britannians here!"_ Kallen thought as tears started to grow in the corner of her eyes.

She then felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked and saw it was Joseph smiling gently at her, before taking her hand.

"Come." Was all he said before pulling her in his direction.

"Where..."

"Wait and see!" Joseph exclaimed as his pace picked up.

Lelouch could only sigh and started following after him, as well as the rest of the council with wonder.

...

Somehow, through circumstances of sneaking around and climbing, Joseph and the student council ended up on the top of a building that was centered around a bunch of others. Some smaller, some taller than the one they were on.

Joseph takes it all in with a deep breath, as if it he discovered a new fragrance.

"Sooooo...any reason why we're up here?!" Rivalz asked.

Joseph just smiled and then took his walkman again and fast-forwarded through a bunch of songs.

_"***ked up-"_

He fast forwarded, that wasn't the song he was he looking for.

_"Shut the ***k up-"_

Fast forwarded again, neither was that.

_"Suck my di-"_

_"Man, it's hard to find the song I'm looking for sometimes."_ Joseph thought to himself, not noticing the council's awkward expressions from the explicit content they heard.

He finally found the song though as a jazz-style piano started to play.

_"I just learnt some jazz today, its true_

_I just learnt some jazz today, and you_

(Lelouch tried to speak up to see where this was going but like before, he held his finger up)

_You gon' learn some jazz today, yes you_

_You gon' learn, you gon' learn, you gon'"_

At these last two lyrics, Joseph got down into a runner's position, confusing the council. All of sudden he started to run towards past the council and towards the edge of the building.

"Whoa! Joe, what are you doing?!" Lelouch asked, trying to stop his brother.

He increases speed, ignoring the pleas of council for him to stop.

He reaches the edge of the building and jumps.

The council watches him shellshocked as Joseph flies in the air onto another building, and then another, and another, as he circles around the building they're standing on. Sometimes jumping off the walls of buildings taller than him.

"Oh my God!" Shirley yelled, putting her hand over her mouth.

"What the HELL!?" Kallen yells.

"Lelouch, did you know he could do that?!" Suzaku asked.

"No!" Lelouch said. Not a complete lie, while he knew Joseph was capable of acrobats, he didn't think they were on **_this_** level!

Joseph meanwhile was having the time of his life as he was hoping up and down buildings like it was child's play for him, making sure to touchdown with each beat of the song.

_"Fake is in season, but me nah pree dem_

_Cause nowadays_

_You couldn't find me pon di BBC-CTV NBC dem cyah program we"_

(Joseph jumps at a nearby flagpole, grabbing the flag and spinning around until the flag was completely wrapped around the pole.)

_"Better them try fi go and see_

_Take in the heights like Andes_

_And these man wah step to me_

_Couldn't get the best of me, couldn't beat the rest of we"_

(Joseph then proceeds to get closer to the council, who were looking at him in awe and made a quick salute at them)

"I think I lost touch with what reality is..." Kallen said meekly, as clearly kidnapping Joseph was never going to work.

"Yeah, I punched out as well." Lelouch replied in a defeated tone.

_"Go to lengths to win then me a flex me wings and_

_Dem a try fi swing, but couldn't I me sing_

(Joseph jumps over to a building under construction and grabs one of those hooks used to lift things up)

_Pon any riddim they feeling it now_

_High pon the ceiling and not coming down_

_Fighting the feeling that life is a dream_

(He swings back and forth on the hook, smiling, not a care in world)

_But then living is death when it comes back around_

_So we just live for the sound"_

(Joseph swung in the direction of the building the council was on and threw himself in the air, doing a backflip)

As the council continued watching, they couldn't help but be amazed by what they were watching.

He looked so happy, and so free.

He landed on the building the council like a cheerleader would when they stuck the landing at their rally.

The council applauded and cheered, minus Lelouch and Kallen who just looked in awe.

"Joseph, that was amazing!" Shirley exclaimed in excitement.

"Yeah, I've never seen anything like that! I doubt that Zero guy could top anything like that!" Rivalz exclaimed, making Lelouch narrow his eyes a bit.

"Eh, who knows." Joseph said casually, he then walked over to Kallen and put his hand on her shoulder.

"That...is why." Joseph explained.

"...Huh?" Was all Kallen could ask, no idea where this was going.

"Bad things people do at me. Afterthought. No pettiness needed. Happens, then ends. Why hold grudge? Much life to love(waves hands in the air). Do that(pointing at the buildings he just jumped around on) all time, amazing, can't take away. People don't like(points at himself)? Pssssh, deal with it! Like me(pumps a fist at his heart), friends, family like me(points at the council and subtly at Lelouch when he says "family"). All I need. Don't like, boohoo for you." Joseph ended his "speech" with a wide smile as he puffed out his chest and put his hands on his hips.

Though it was said with a broken speech pattern, Kallen and the rest of the council couldn't help but be amazed with Joseph's attitude towards himself and the world around him. Lelouch couldn't help but have a small smile.

_"Joseph..." _Lelouch thought to himself.

Kallen was about respond when another voice broke their thought process.

"Hey! What the hell you kids doing up here!? This is private property you know! And shouldn't you be in school?!" A man, who looked like some sort of security guard, yelled at them.

The student council froze, not sure how to explain the situation. Lelouch was ready to use his geass when Joseph approached the man.

"Well officer, we-DEAR GOD, WHAT THAT!?" Joseph exclaimed as he looked up and pointed at something in the sky, taking the guard and student council by surprise.

"What's what?!" The security guard asked fearfully as he turned around to see what Joseph pointed at.

Only to have his shirt pulled over his head and his pants pulled down to his ankles by Joseph.

"RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Joseph screamed at the council, grabbing a surprised Lelouch, who yelled a "Hey!" when Joseph hurled him over his shoulders and the rest of the council were sure to follow his lead.

"YOU LITTLE SHITS! GET BACK HERE!" The security yelled through his shirt and trying to get his pants back up while trying not to trip over himself.

Joseph was laughing maniacally as the council was just trying to keep up with him, starting to question the man's sanity.

...

The council took their time to catch their breaths on a stairway.

"Oh man, I don't think I've ever ran that fast in my life." Rivalz said in exasperated breath.

"Good thing Joseph was carrying Lelouch, otherwise he would have dropped dead 30 seconds in." Milly joked, taking a few breaths herself.

That got a laugh from the council and an even bigger laugh from Joseph, who received a glare from Lelouch, and a small smirk from Kallen.

"More jokes like that, and you'll have to find someone else to balance your budget." Lelouch said in a playful manner.

"Oh, a threat I hear? Then I might just have to tell Joseph and the newest members of our council about the 'crossdressing' incident won't I?" Milly asked with an evil smile, causing Lelouch's eyes to widen in fear.

"Milly, don't you..." Lelouch trailed off as he heard music coming from Joseph again.

It was, of course, coming from Joseph's walkman. It was some sort of guitar riff and chanting coming from a group of men. Joseph started to dance to it.

"What song is that?" Shirley asked.

"_Gary Glitter, Rock and Roll Part 2_" Joseph responded gleefully, continuing his dancing. Kicking his legs up as he walked down the steps in fashion.

"Man, you're a 24/7 radio aren't you Joseph?" Suzaku asked with a smile.

"Yep!" Joseph responded with enthusiasm as he jumped the down the last couple of steps, still dancing.

The council watched him as he moved his body around as if he ruled the world, and perhaps he did in his own mind.

Lelouch could see that his brother truly was happy, all these years and hasn't lost touch with himself at all. So he shrugged and thought about doing the other thing he could do in that moment.

Which was to join his brother in the dance and show off his own moves, surprising the council immensely. Joseph on the other hand, happily welcomed his brother into the fold.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku asked, mouth agape. He had never seen Lelouch do this before.

"Hey, can't beat them, join them." Was all Lelouch said as he continued dancing.

Shirley's surprise turned to acceptance as she smiled, as she joined Lelouch and Joseph in their dance party.

"Aw, what the Hell." Rivalz said with acceptance as he joined in.

Followed by Milly with a shake of the head. And Nina, though nervous, did a tiny dance of her own.

Suzaku looked at them with surprise but then a small smile came to his face and joined in as well.

Kallen on the other hand, looked uncomfortable, not sure what to do.

"Come on Kallen, get in the groove." Rivalz said, showing off his moves.

"Yeah! Groove!" Joseph said in agreement.

"Lay off guys, she has health problems remember?" Shirley lectured.

"She does?...Ooooooooooohhhhhh." Joseph said in realization, looking at Kallen, knowing what she's up to.

_"Part of the secret identity. Smart." _Joseph thought.

Kallen took a deep breath and "Okay..." and then finally joined in on the dancing group that formed randomly out of nowhere.

People passed by with WTF looks, but none of them cared. For awhile, they lived in the moment, and that was enough.

...

Some time later in the late afternoon, Joseph and the rest of the council finally made it back

"I have to say, going gambling with Lelouch does not even come close to how much fun you made today." Rivalz told Joseph.

"Yes, it was certainly nothing like I've ever experienced, I'll say that much." Shirley said with a smile.

"W-will we see you again?" Nina asked shyly, hoping not to offend him.

"Abso-toda-lutely!" Joseph replied, he still had to see Nunnally and Lady Marianne after all, no reason he can't stay for another couple of days.

"Wonderful! This school gladly welcomes you with open arms!" Milly exclaimed, happy to have her old friend back.

"Awesome!" Joseph replied.

"For now, how about you come with me to where I live. I'm sure Nunnally would love to know that you're here." Lelouch said with a smile.

"Sure!" Joseph replied happily, though he wondered why he didn't include Marianne in the sentence.

"Suzaku, how about you come with us? You can help explain some things when he sees Nunnally." Lelouch suggested to Suzaku with a telling voice.

"Oh, uh, sure, no problem." Suzaku said in understanding, this made Joseph more confused.

"It was, uh, nice to meet you." Kallen said meekly, not sure how to feel about this individual anymore.

"You too." Joseph said gently before gathering her and the rest of the student council in one big hug.

"New friends!" Joseph said in glee. Surprising the council.

"Onward, to Nunnally!" Joseph proclaimed, grabbing Lelouch's hand and tugging him towards a building, Suzaku following close by.

"Joe, that's not the right way!" Lelouch said in annoyance.

Joseph then went in the opposite direction, which wasn't the right way either.

"Look, can you just let go and follow me!?" Lelouch said in exasperation.

"Right-eo man! Right-eo!" Joseph exclaimed, getting a laugh out of Suzaku.

The council could only watch in amusement.

"I think Joseph just might be a little crazy." Rivalz said with a smile.

"A _little_? The man is completely bonkers!" Milly exclaimed with a laugh.

"Guys don't be rude. But yes, he is...out of this world." Shirley said in a polite manner.

"He's just like a kid..." Kallen said quietly.

"And Lulu seemed a lot more lively too. Usually he's more reserved, but Joseph seems to have put a spark in him that I've never seen before." Shirley added.

"Indeed...still an actual Prince considers us his friends. I never thought that would ever happen in my lifetime." Nina said in awe.

"I know right! How cool is that?! Imagine all the perks we could get now if he goes back to the Viceroy palace!" Rivalz said in excitement.

"Rivalz, don't you dare think about using Joseph in that way!" Shirley lectured.

"I'm not! I'm just saying, there's a lot of benefits to having a prince as a friend." Rivalz argued.

...

As they continued arguing, Kallen had her own thoughts going on.

Here was a man, not just any man too, a _Prince_! Who willfully chose to get down in the dirt and let himself be stomped on by others. And does it bother him? No! He continues to smile that same dopey smile of his like it doesn't affect him, and it really doesn't!

Some might think he was hiding under a mask, but she could make no such distinction. Here was someone, who despite everything he went through, that was truly happy with who he was and what his circumstance was. He still carried his pride on his sleeve and didn't have any signs of breaking.

And it truly put Kallen in a turmoil. Just how was she suppose to deal with a person like this? A person who was probably more innocent than a lot of people and yet was the child of the same man who turned her country into ashes and rebuilt into his liking.

With time, Kallen would have to decide how to deal with him.

She just hoped it was decision she wouldn't come to regret.

**And that takes care of that. This one I was really looking forward to writing because it let me dive into a detailed description of what Joseph does on a daily basis. As for how Joseph receives damage to his body, he doesn't feel average human punches and kicks, no problem, his body has built up that endurance. It's melee weapons and firearms that will leave scars. Depending on how hurt he is will depend on what type of weapon it is, for instance, the car crash he received will result in result in major bruising in his chest, knifes and gun will definitely cause him to bleed. He'll take it like a champ though, because he's built himself able to do so. Also, the shorten version of "I've Got No Strings" is from the Dr. Dre Beats Commercial that came out a couple of years ago. And the stairway scene, was definitely inspired by Joaquin Phoenix's dancing in Joker. Anyway, please comment and leave any thoughts behind, see you later.**


	8. Nunne!

Joseph was brought back to the student council building; he was giddy with excitement. He would finally get to see his little sister and surrogate aunt again.

When his mom died, Lady Marianne was kind enough to let him stay with her and her children at Aries Villa. While it wasn't the same without his mom, he still had plenty of fun with Lelouch and Nunnally. He was always able to get Lelouch to relax and let loose every once in a while and Nunnally had as much energy as he did so they were always playing clapping games, hide-n-seek, and just running around the garden they had. And he could only imagine how much more fun he would have with them.

However, he couldn't help but notice Lelouch getting quieter as they were approaching the household.

"_I wonder what's up?"_ Joseph thought to himself.

They enter what appeared to be the dining area, Joseph then felt Lelouch touch his shoulder.

"Listen Joseph, when you see Nunnally. I'm going to need you to remain calm and not freak out." Lelouch said quietly

This confused Joseph, he looked at Suzaku who just had his head down with sadness.

Joseph was about ask what was going on when he heard a small, sweet voice.

"Brother, I'm home."

Joseph quickly turned back in excitement, he recognized that voice anywhere, it was older but it was definitely Nunnally!

He also heard the sound of wheels turning.

_"Must have taken up bike riding! What a great way to stay in shape!"_ Joseph thought to himself.

He was about to shout her name, but once she entered the room, he cut himself off.

He saw Sayoko enter the room with a young girl with a smile on her face in a wheelchair and her eyes closed. This girl had a student uniform on and had the same sandy brown hair as...

_"Nunnally?"_ Joseph thought to himself in surprise and a hint of fear, not really sure if this was real or not.

He felt Lelouch touch his shoulder again and quietly shush him, he then walked over to Nunnally, bending down and grabbing her hand.

"Nunnally, Suzaku and I have another surprise for you." Lelouch said sweetly.

"Two surprises in one week? Big brother, you're spoiling me." Nunnally innocently giggled.

Lelouch and Suzaku chuckled at this, Lelouch turned back to Joseph and gestured him to come over with a small smile.

Joseph slowly approached, afraid he might do something to hurt her. He bent down, Lelouch took his hand and put it into Nunnally's. Nunnally made a sound in surprise.

"This hand...there's something that feels so familiar about it..." Nunnally said, analyzing the patterns and marks on Joseph's hand.

"...Nunne?" Joseph quietly said, using the nickname he made for her so she would recognize him better. Nunnally gasped.

"That voice...Joseph...big brother Joseph?" Nunnally asked in a small voice with tears falling out of her closed eyes, afraid this wasn't real.

Joseph drew her into a tight but gentle hug.

"Hey little sis." Joseph said quietly.

They released each other and Nunnally was ecstatic with questions

"How are you here? Did Lelouch find you? What have you been doing all these years!?" Nunnally asked rapidly with excitement.

"Walked here. Found each other. Walking, dancing, here, there, everywhere!" Joseph happily replied.

"Sounds like something you would do." Nunnally said amused.

They all shared a laugh after that. Nunnally proceeded to touch Joseph's face.

"Oh my. You grew a beard." Nunnally giggled as she brushed his beard through her fingers.

Joseph smiled but then took a rare moment to get serious.

"Nunnally...why wheelchair...and eyes closed...and where Lady Marianne?" Joseph asked.

Nunnally was surprised by this and turned to Lelouch.

"He doesn't know?" Nunnally softly asked.

"I figured it was best to wait until he saw you so we could tell him together." Lelouch. explained sadly.

"Tell what?" Joseph asked, wondering what the Hell was going on.

"...A lot has happened in the last seven-and-a-half years Joe." Lelouch said with a sad smile.

...

The last time Joseph shed any tears was when his mom died, and he found his face wet again after hearing his sibling's stories.

So many revelations and so many heartaches in just a short time.

Lady Marianne was dead from an assassination attack, Nunnally was blind and crippled from that assassination attack, and their own father had exiled them to Japan after Lelouch tried to get Justice for his mother's death. They stayed at the Kururugi Shrine, which is how they know Suzaku, though it was pretty funny they didn't get along at first. However, more heartache came when it was discovered that the invasion of Japan started right near the Shrine and the three of them were almost killed. His siblings and Suzaku went their separate ways and they have been staying in hiding with the Ashfords ever since.

Joseph knew that his dad was a big jerk and usually never acknowledge his own kids, but to do something like that was WAY overboard. His dad was definitely off the "like" list!

The first thing Joseph did when they were done with their story was bring them into a tight hug.

"So sorry." Joseph said sadly.

"It's okay, it's not your fault." Nunnally tried to reassure.

"No! Should of been there! Bad big brother! Bad!" Joseph said angrily while hitting himself.

"Hey! Stop that! Now listen, you couldn't have had any idea what was going to happen in those months after you left. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Understand?" Lelouch lectured.

"...Okay..." Joseph said, not really meaning it.

It was clear that his presence was now needed more than ever!

"Well then. I stay here!" Joseph proclaimed as he stood up with his arms on his hips.

"What?!" The rest replied.

"Yep! Big brother right? Have to watch over siblings correctly!" Joseph said, marching back and forth as if giving a motivational speech.

"Oh, that would be wonderful! Wouldn't it Lelouch?" Nunnally said happily.

"Uh...yes. Um, would you guys excuse me for a moment. I think Joseph still has dirt on his face from earlier." Lelouch said nervously.

"I do?" Joseph asked, hand going to his face.

"Yeah. You do." Lelouch whispered through gritted teeth, pulling Joseph into the other room.

...

"You can't stay here." Lelouch told Joseph.

"Why not? Like old times!" Joseph asked surprised.

"That's not possible and we both know that!" Lelouch said aggravated, before taking a deep breath.

"Look, I know you mean well and just want to look out for us. But trust me, it would just cause a lot more trouble for us if started living with us. Students would start asking why we would let some random stranger into our house, and if it got out you were a prince, the word could eventually spread to Cornelia, who would come here to take us back to Pendragon and back to-"

"Dad. Ugh, what a big jerk!" Joseph finished for him. Lelouch eyebrow twitched at this.

_"That's one word to call him."_ Lelouch said begrudgingly.

"Wait, why Cornelia?" Joseph asked.

"...Because she's the Viceroy, along with Euphemia as the Sub-Viceroy." Lelouch replied in a deadpan tone

"...Ooooooooh. Cool!" Joseph replied.

"You got to pick up a newspaper once in awhile. So you understand situation then?" He asked.

Joseph took a deep breath, and although he was sad, he nodded.

"Understand. Will come visit though. No discussion!" Joseph said. Lelouch sighed,

"Well, I certainly can't stop you. But if you're going to come during school hours, do so when I'm with the council so it looks like you're visiting all of us. And if you stay for dinner, make sure you leave when nobody is around campus." Lelouch instructed.

"No prob, Bob." Joseph agreed with a thumbs up and a smile.

"Alright then. Let's go back." Lelouch said before Joseph wrapped him up around his arm.

"Boys back in town! Haha!" Joseph said in glee.

Lelouch just sighed.

...

Suzaku and Nunnally were sitting at the dining table when Lelouch and Joseph got back.

"There you two are, Sayoko's about to come back with dinner." Suzaku said.

"Yum!" Joseph said as he sat down next to Nunnally.

"Nunnally, Joseph thought about it some more and he decided it would be better he went back to the Viceroy Palace to stay with Cornelia and Euphemia." Lelouch explained while looking at Joseph, gesturing him to continue.

"...uh, yeah, yeaaah. Gotta protect identities. Keep safe." Joseph continued,

"Oh, ok. But you'll come visit right?" Nunnally asked.

"Abso-toda-lutely!" Joseph proclaimed in glee. Making Nunnally giggle.

"Though I am worried how exactly he'll get to back in the palace. Judging from your appearance..." Lelouch said awkwardly.

"What's wrong with his appearance?" Nunnally asked innocently.

"Let's just say he's a lot more cleaner than when I first found him." Lelouch said.

"Goodness. Joseph, what have you been up to this whole time?" Nunnally asked.

"Many things. What about you? Any changes?" Joseph asked playfully as he poked her.

"No." Nunnally said as she made a small giggle.

"You sure? Not ticklish?!" Joseph exclaimed as he started tickling Nunnally, who started to laugh loudly.

"J-joe! Stop!" Nunnally exclaimed in laughter, tears swelling up in her eyes.

Lelouch and Suzaku laughed at this. Joseph then scooped her up into a hug and planted a bunch of kisses on her face.

"Missed ya!" Joseph said as he hugged her tight.

"I missed you too. Hehe, your beard tickles." Nunnally said.

"I know people in the engineering core. They should be able to get connected with the Viceroy and Sub-Viceroy." Suzaku reassured.

"Thank you Suzaku, that would be wonderful." Nunnally said after Joseph set her back down.

Sayoko then came back in with in dinner.

...

During dinner, Joseph told Nunnally about how he traveled from country to country on foot, which bewildered Nunnally. He told her about his scars which made her shed a few tears for him, Joseph of course brushed it off like it was no big deal. The rest of night was just a barrel of laughs and nostalgia of the three siblings and Suzaku.

When Joseph and Suzaku took their leave, Lelouch and Nunnally made sure to say goodbye.

"Give Cornelia and Euphie a kiss on the cheek for me please?" Nunnally asked.

"Well duh." Joseph replied as if it was obvious, making Nunnally giggle.

"Try to run into any trouble on your way over there." Lelouch telling Joseph more than Suzaku.

"No promises!" Joseph replied while saluting him. Lelouch looked at him in exasperation while Nunnally giggled even more.

"I'll make sure he gets there without anymore scratches." Suzaku reassured.

"I appreciate that Suzaku. Just make sure he doesn't get you tangled up in any of his adventures." Lelouch said playfully.

"I will certainly try." Suzaku replied with a smile.

Joseph then wrapped his siblings into a tight hug.

"Be back soon." Joseph told them.

"We'll be waiting!" Nunnally said with glee.

They waved to each other as they left, but Lelouch still had one lingering thought in his head.

_"Dear God, please don't please don't let him accidentally reveal I'm alive!"_

**I decided to make this one shorter again so I can keep up week to week. So Joe attitude towards his dad has gone down a bit, how much so will be seen later on. Just so you guys know, I'm a very visual type of storyteller, and what I imagine can be hard to describe in words sometimes. So if you have trouble understanding what's going on in some sequences, I apologize in advance. Comment and tell me what you think!**


	9. Corn!

_Lelouch's Bedroom_

"You sure it's wise to let him go like that?" C.C. asked in her usually dull tone from Lelouch's bed.

"It's not like I have any other choice..." Lelouch quietly said as he was thinking back to what happened earlier.

...

(Flashback)

_"Alright then. Let's go back." Lelouch said before Joseph wrapped him up around his arm._

_"Boys back in town! Haha!" Joseph said in glee._

_Lelouch just sighed, but then remembered something he wanted to earlier._

_"One more thing Joseph." __Lelouch said, getting out Joseph's grip._

_"Yeah bro?" Joseph asked._

_"Do not reveal our true identities to anyone, especially Cornelia and Euphemia."_ _Lelouch ordered, activating his Geass._

_Joseph just stared at him, this confused Lelouch._

_"...did it-" Lelouch didn't get to finish his thought as he was flicked on the head by Joseph.  
_

_"Ow!"_

_"What hell bro?! No trust!? Gotta use power?!" Joseph asked Lelouch angrily._

_"So it really doesn't work on you." Lelouch said surprised._

_"Huh?" Joseph asked in confusion but still angry._

_"Joe. You know my geass requires eye contact right?" Lelouch asked_

_"So?" Joseph asked back._

_"So remember when I ordered those soldiers to kill themselves and their security officers to not __mention you were here?"_

_"So?"_

_"So when I did that, _**you**_ were looking right at me." Lelouch asked with gritted teeth, now getting agitated._

_"...Ooooh, immune! Cool." Joseph said realization, happy he has a superpower of his own._

_"So you didn't feel any different when you looked at it?" Lelouch asked._

_"Nope, same old, same old." Joseph said, forgetting about his anger towards Lelouch._

_"Hmmm...sorry I tried to use it on you. I had to be sure, and I have to make sure Nunnally stays safe." Lelouch apologized. Joseph puts his head on Lelouch's head._

_"Bro...get it...sister too...will protect...kay?" Joseph said in a rare serious tone._

_"...thank you." Lelouch said, a bit more relaxed if not trepidatious._

(Flashback End)

_..._

"It's probably the riskiest thing I've done. But I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, he deserves it after what he's put up with all these years. Besides, I'll be sure Suzaku and Sayoko keep tabs on him." Lelouch said.

"Hmmm, never imagined you to be one for pity. Did that little dance routine earlier really make you that soft already?" C.C. teased.

"Shut it, Seaweed." Lelouch teased back with a smirk, which made C.C. actually glare at him.

"Still, any idea why Geass doesn't affect him?" Lelouch asked suspiciously.

"Beats me. I just assume it's because of his mental capacity." C.C. casually said, lying down on the bed.

"Maybe..." Lelouch said, not entirely convinced.

_"If she's hiding something, she has a good poker face. I'll let it go for now, but I'll have to keep my eye on her." _Lelouch thought to himself.

...

_Next Morning_

_ASEEC_

After Suzaku let Joseph spend the night in his room, where he treated Suzaku to a bunch of "Night Songs" until 3am in the morning. He took him to the ASEEC, where he was sure Lloyd could get in touch with the Viceroy and Sub-Viceroy. He couldn't help but blush when he thought about Euphemia.

_"Euphie..."_ Suzaku thought back to her sunny attitude and began to wonder if she always had that or got it from Joseph, who was currently dancing to more music while he was trying to get them inside the base.

"And is "he" with you?" The security guard at the gate asked while giving him a very stern look.

It was clear he didn't like allowing his kind in, and having Joseph here with his appearance might just keep him out for today.

"Uh, yes sir, but I swear, he's here for a good purpose." Suzaku said trying to persuade the guard.

"Looks like a bum to me." The guard sternly said, slowly reaching for his gun.

That was true, while he was cleaner and his coat was refurbished, he still gave off a "homeless vibe". And when Suzaku thought it was hopeless, a certain eccentric scientist came to his rescue.

"Ah! There's my devicer!" Lloyd shouted out to him as he approached the gate.

"H-hello Lloyd." Suzaku said with relief, but also some nervousness as wasn't sure how he wasn't going to explain the situation to Lloyd.

"And who is this fellow with you? Explain to me once we get inside, we have a lot of work to do." Lloyd exclaimed, tugging Suzaku into the base with Joseph happily following them.

...

Joseph looked around in wonder at the base that he was led on, filled with so much technology with buttons and switches that were ripe for touching. The funny scientist was still talking to Suzaku at rapid speed, to which a blue-haired woman walked up to them with a stern look on her face.

"Lloyd! At least let Suzaku get into the base before you start chattering his ear off with the schedule." She lectured before turning to Suzaku with a smile. "Good morning Suzaku, how have things been at school?"

"Good morning Cecile, it's quite well actually, made a lot of new friends." Suzaku said with a smile.

"How wonderful. Is he one of them? You know the base is confidential Lloyd!" Cecile exclaimed to Lloyd, noticing Joseph was there.

"We'll just get him to sign some papers is all. Speaking of which, who is your friend? He doesn't exactly look like a fellow from the settlement." Lloyd asked.

"Well you see-" Suzaku started to explain before being interrupted by Joseph.

"Whoa..." Joseph said with wide eyes in disbelief.

Walking past the three of them, he starred at the same white giant robot he saw back in Shinjuku. Lloyd saw this and smiled.

"Oh, you like it? A passion project of mine. It's called-"

"GIANT WHITE ROBOT!" Joseph exclaimed, jump scaring everyone in the base and causing them to look at Joseph.

"Well I don't know if I would call it with such simplic-Hey! Get off there! You might put a dent in it" Lloyd exclaimed as Joseph jumped on the giant robot with glee, checking out all its features.

"Lloyd! HE could also get hurt! Please be careful!" Cecile exclaimed to Joseph.

"So cool! Same in Shinjuku!" Joseph exclaimed.

This caught the trio's attention.

"You were there that day in Shinjuku?" Cecile asked with surprise.

"Yep-yep! Went pass me, so badass!" Joseph exclaimed as he was checking out the head. He didn't notice the regretful look on Suzaku's face.

_("He was in the same area I was and I didn't even see him! How could I be so careless!"_ Suzaku thought regretfully from his perspective.)

"Well I'm glad someone appreciates my technological advancements." Lloyd said pleased, forgetting for the moment that some random person was climbing all over his Lancelot.

"Suzaku, who did you say this was?" Cecile asked now more confused than ever.

And before he could answer, Joseph answered for him.

"Joseph Du Britannia! How you be?!" Joseph greeted as he jumped down the knightmare, landing in front of Cecile, startling her and Suzaku and then shook her hand rapidly.

"Uh...pleased to meet-wait...Britannia? As in royal family Britannia!?" Cecile asked in shock.

"Well, two surprises in one week. Suzaku, I'm starting to think your strategy is to get in bed with the Britannias." Lloyd casually said.

"L-LLOYD!" Suzaku stuttered.

"Suzaku, is he really?" Cecile asked, still in shock.

"Uh, yes, Cecile. He is a Britannia, you can look up his records if you don't believe me." Suzaku said, getting over the shock of Lloyd's statement.

"No, no, I believe you. Um, a pleasure to meet you, your highness. I'm Cecile Croomy." Cecile introduced herself in curtsy.

"No highness. Joseph or Joe fine." Joseph happily waved off, surprising Cecile.

"A pleasure Joseph, I'm Lloyd Asplund, the head scientist of the ASEEC." Lloyd lazily introduced himself, sticking out his hand for Joseph to shake, which he took.

"Nice to meet! Wait...Lloyd Asplund?" Joseph asked.

"That's right." Lloyd answered. Joseph then scrunched as his eyes at him in analyzation.

"Skinny guy, grayish-blue hair, glasses, lab coat?" Joseph asked.

"...Last I checked, yes." Lloyd chuckled, though now a bit confused.

"...Know Rakshata Chawla?" Joseph asked.

"Why yes I do actually." Lloyd said surprised.

"Cool!" Joseph exclaimed.

To which he then, without warning, proceeded to punch Lloyd right in his testicles.

Lloyd yet out a high-pitched, squeaky, yelp and fell to ground clutching his balls.

"Lloyd!" Cecile exclaimed, going over to him to see if he was okay.

"Jo-Joe! Wh-Why did you do that!?" Suzaku stuttered, looking back and forth from Joseph to Lloyd, very confused by the sudden turn of events.

"Had to. Promised." Joseph happily shrugged.

"Promised?" Cecile asked, now more confused than ever.

"I take it Rakshata asked you to do that." Lloyd said, his voice still clinging for air.

"Mom actually, mom promised, carried promise for mom. Sorry man." Joseph explained, helping Lloyd back up.

"I suppose I should have seen it coming, Rakshata never did like me messing with her children." Lloyd said, a bit more composed now.

"No she didn't!" Joseph happily agreed.

Suzaku mouth "Children?" to Cecile and she just shrugged.

"Well, how exactly did you come upon another royal Suzaku? Did this one fall into your arms as well?" Lloyd asked.

"No, no! It's more he stumbled back onto the campus of the school I go to. Milly Ashford, the president, recognized him from years ago. She told me he had a good relationship with the Viceroy and Sub-Viceroy, so I thought-"

"You bring him here and we could get in contact with their highnesses. You're lucky I came for you when I did otherwise he probably would have shot on the spot for his appearance." Lloyd finished for Suzaku in his usual lazy sounding tone.

"Yeah, I was afraid there for a moment. But I would appreciate it if you could get them down here. I'm sure they would be happy to see him." Suzaku said.

"Of course Suzaku. Your high-I mean, Joseph. How about you take a seat and I'll fix you something to eat." Cecile said with a smile.

"Coolio!" Joseph exclaimed while Lloyd grimaced.

...

Joseph chewed on his chicken for awhile, topped with whipped cream, pickles and a side of grapes.

"Mmmm" He chewed curiously

"MMMM" He chewed happily

"mmmm" He chewed disapointedly

"Hmmm" He chewed as if saying "How about that."

He then hummed his chewing, all while Cecile, Suzaku, Lloyd, and even the workers around him looked at him in antipication. Wondering what he thought of Cecile's "cooking."

He finally swallowed with a blank look on his face.

"...Well...did-did you like it?" Cecile asked nervously, never having royalty try her food before.

"...needs tree bark." Was all Joseph said as he took out his bag of tree bark, crushed a piece of it in his hand and sprinkled it onto the chicken, and then taking another bite out of it. Giving Lloyd, Suzaku, the crew a bunch of WTF faces and making Cecile very happy that a prince liked her cooking.

"I never thought about using tree bark before! Maybe that's just what I needed for my recipes!" Cecile said excited.

"Full of protein!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Uh...right. Anyway, I got in contact with the Viceroys and they're on their way." Lloyd said getting over the shock.

"That's great. Did you explain the situation." Suzaku asked.

"I just told them they were in for a surprise is all." Lloyd said cheekily.

"Ooooh, surprise?" Joseph asked. An idea forming in his head.

...

Euphemia was actually happy to go to the ASEEC again, it meant she would get to possibly see that Suzaku fellow again, which caused her to blush she thinking about him. Not that it wasn't the only reason she wanted to go, she was after all Sub-Viceroy and it was her duty to make sure are Knightmare frames, equipment, and weaponry were coming in at an orderly fashion.

"Honestly, that Lloyd couldn't just show us his "surprise" over the communicator? What could it be that is so important that we have to divert off our schedule just to come down there!?" Cornelia complained, who was at Euphemia's side in the car they were riding in.

"The Earl of Asplund has been know for his "eccentricities" but I think he wouldn't call us down there without good reason." Darlton said from across Cornelia.

"I agree, your highness. Let's just wait and see what he has to show us." Guilford added on.

Euphemia herself was curious what exactly this surprise was, Lloyd just said they would have to see it to believe it.

They finally arrived and they saw Lloyd, his assistant Cecile, and Suzaku waiting for them.

"Good afternoon your highnesses." Lloyd lazily curtsy, which made Cornelia and her knights glare at him while Euphemia couldn't help but have a small smile for.

"Afternoon Lloyd, Cecile, and um...Pvt. Kururugi." Euphemia greeted, getting a small pink blush in her cheeks when saying Suzaku's name.

"It's good to see you, your highness." Suzaku bowed, also a small blush on his cheeks.

"Watch your place, _Eleven_." Cornelia firmly said.

"Uh, yes, your highness, apologies." Suzaku hastily said, as he straightened himself.

Euphemia sighed, she hated how the Japanese were treated here, especially coming from her own sister's mouth.

"Alright Lloyd. You were able to get us down here. What is this "surprise" that we needed to see to believe?" Cornelia asked sternly.

"Right to the point I see. Very well, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you two have a sibling that goes by the name of Joseph Du Britannia, yes?" Lloyd asked with a strange smile on his face.

This confused the sisters, as they haven't heard anyone ask that name in a long time.

"Yes, he left Pendragon years ago. What about it?" Cornelia asked.

To which then Euphemia heard someone landed behind her and screamed, "SURPRISE!"

This caused Euphemia herself to scream in shock and rush into her sister's arm who yelled "WHAT THE HELL!?", to which Lloyd and the stranger suddenly started laughing hysterically.

"Got ya!" The stranger pointed at them as he continued to laugh, before being tackled by Darlton and Guilford.

"Hohoho, that was rich. I wish I had recorded that." Lloyd said as he wiped a tear from face, getting over his own laughs.

This definitely pissed off Cornelia as she now took out her gun-sword and pointed it at Lloyd, shocking Cecile, Suzaku, and Euphemia. Lloyd was unfazed.

"This is what you wasted our time for!? To make some childish prank!" Cornelia asked, now steaming with anger.

"Oh, the prank was his idea actually, I just decided to go along with it. But no, I am being serious when I say that you are indeed looking at your long lost brother, Joseph Du Britannia." Lloyd explained, still smiling in amusement.

The sisters were now more confused than ever, they turned and looked at this stranger before them, who honestly looked like he was from the ghettos.

"Oh please. You honestly expect me to believe that this bum is my younger brother!" Cornelia asked, now pointing her gun-sword at the stranger. Who instead of being afraid, was just confused.

(_"Why does this keep happening with all the people I know?"_) That thought coming from his perspective.

"Wait! Release him!" Euphemia ordered.

"Wha-Euphemia?!" Cornelia asked shocked.

"Your highness?" Guilford asked.

"Lord Guilford, Lord Darlton, please. Let him go." Euphemia gently but firmly ordered.

They were hesitant, but they let the stranger go, making sure to keep a close distance in case he tried anything.

Euphemia took a good look at the person in front of her, analyzing him.

_"That coat...I seen it before..."_ Euphemia thought to herself as she started to approach the man.

The man smiled at her and she took her hands to his face, feeling his features.

_"This face...it can't_ _be!"_ Euphemia thought in disbelief. "Joseph...is that really you?" Euphemia asked quietly, afraid this will all turn out to be a cruel joke.

The man's smile got wider, he reached into his coat, causing Cornelia to be ready to fire her gun and her knights to reach for theirs on their waists.

But it was just a walkman. Not just any walkman though, a 1986 Sony Walkman with a turtle sticker on it. Euphemia's eyes widen, she knew only one person who had this device. And if she needed even more proof, he took the back off where the batteries were stored and pulled put a photo, there was another one in there but Euphemia didn't get a good look at it. He showed the photo to her and it was a picture of her when she was younger, with her in that photo was Lelouch, Nunnally, and a younger version of Joseph who still had the coat on and the same grin he has now!

"Oh my! JOSEPH!" Euphemia yelled with excitement and happiness as she tightly hugged Joseph, who spun her around in joy while laughing, with tears in her eyes. Lloyd was amused, Cecile wiped a tear from her eye, and Suzaku just smiled at the family reunion. Cornelia and her knights meanwhile were just plain flabbergasted.

This man, who you probably wouldn't distinguish the difference between him and a common bum, was their brother!?

Joseph finally stopped spinning and put her down.

"Hey Eup! Missed ya!" Joseph said excited.

"I missed you too! Sister, look! It's him, it's our brother Joseph!" Euphemia exclaimed to Cornelia, bringing him over to her.

Cornelia could only look with wide eyes, still in disbelief.

"Could it really be..." Was all she could say.

"Yeah, Corn. Me, Corn. Come on, Corn. Know me, Corn. Right, Corn? Huh, Corn? Corn? Corn. Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn, corn, corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corncorncorncorncorncorncorncorncorncorn-

"STOP! ALRIGHT, I BELIEVE YOU!" Cornelia yelled very annoyed, she knew only one person who could get on her nerves like that and it was definitely her brother, Joseph.

Lloyd and Joseph couldn't help but laugh while Euphemia let out a giggle, her brother did not change at all, and she was glad.

"Get here!" Joseph exclaimed, pulling Cornelia into a tight hug and lifting her into the air. "Good to see, Corn!"

"Yes...you too...please put me down." Cornelia said through tight breathes.

He did so, still keeping her in a hug and then gathering Euphemia in the hug as well.

"Good ol' sisters!" Joseph gleefully said, kissing both of them in the cheek. Getting a giggle from Euphemia and a blush from Cornelia.

"Hehe, your beard tickles." Euphie said happily.

"Indeed, you grown up so much. I can't believe I'm even looking at the same person from all those years ago." Cornelia said nostalgically while holding Joseph's face and examining it.

Guildford and Darlton then decided to approach and gave proper curtsy to Joseph.

"It's good to see you again, your highness. I don't know if you remember us but we-"

"Darlton! Long time!" Joseph exclaimed, walking up to him and shaking his hand.

"Indeed, your highness." Darlton said with a smile.

Joseph then looked Guilford.

"Captain Buzzkill! How you be!?" Joseph exclaimed, patting Guilford on the back. Causing Guilford to sigh, Lloyd to laugh hysterically again, and Euphemia cover up a small giggle.

"Captain Buzzkill, I have to remember that one!" Lloyd said, still trying to get over his laughs.

"It's Guilford your highness." He said miserably at the nickname Joseph gave him.

It actually originated from Lady Rebecca, who used the term on him once when he commented on the activities that were taking place at a fair that him, Cornelia, and the vi-Britannia children attended as well. The name however stuck with Joseph and he called him that whenever he saw him.

"Course, Captain Buzzkill." Joseph replied with his dopey smile, getting another laugh from Lloyd. Euphemia approached him again.

"It is truly wonderful to see you again, Joseph. But, how are you here? When did you get here? How long have you have been in Japan? Did you-(gasps)What happened to your finger!" Euphie exclaimed in shock as she took Joseph's hand and examined the pinkie that was missing.

"Chopped off. Machete." Joseph casually said.

This shocked everyone, besides Suzaku.

"What do you mean, "Chopped off."? A-and what do you mean 'Machete'? What on Earth-" Euphemia didn't get to finish her question as Cornelia touched her shoulder.

"Euphemia, perhaps it's best we discuss it on the way back to the palace." Cornelia suggested, figuring it was better to get her brother back in a stable environment instead of a bunch of bystanders who don't know how to mind their business. "Guilford, Darlton, you're in charge of the schedule for the rest of the day!" She ordered her knights.

"Yes, your highness!" Guilford and Darlton said, standing up straight in Britannian fashion.

"Y-yes, you're right. Thank you Lloyd for bringing him back to us." Euphemia said professionally.

"As much as I would like to take credit, I believe that goes to our devicer here, Suzaku." Lloyd said.

This surprised them.

"This _eleven_ brought him here?" Cornelia asked with a sneer, before being flicked on the head by Joseph.

"Corn. Friend(pointing to Suzaku). Be nice." Joseph lectured to his sister, surprising both Cornelia and Euphemia.

Before they could elaborate, he went over to the Suzaku, Cecile, and Lloyd.

"Lloyd, Cecile, nice to meet." Joseph said, gathering them into a hug

"You as well, Joe." Cecile said, hugging him back with a smile.

"You certainly made this a fun day for me." Lloyd said amused.

He let them go and went over to Suzaku, getting him into an arm lock and giving him noogie.

"See later, training buddy!" Joseph exclaimed.

"You too, Joseph." Suzaku said in strained breath.

Euphemia then decided to approach him.

"Thank you Pvt. Kururugi, for giving him back to us." Euphemia said sweetly.

"Of course, your highness. It was my pleasure." Suzaku said bowing to her while smiling.

Euphemia looked back at Cornelia with a stern expression.

"(Sighs)...You did well Pvt. Kururugi. Keep it up and there might be a place for you here after all." Cornelia said.

Suzaku brought his head back up in surprise.

"Th-thank you, your highness. I will!" Suzaku said determined.

Joseph put his arm around Euphie, and then his other arm around Cornelia, surprising her.

"Sisters trio rise!" Joseph exclaimed. Getting a laugh from Euphemia, and a sigh from Cornelia. Darlton and Guilford followed from behind.

Suzaku, Cecile, and Lloyd watched them leave.

"Well he's certainly a strange fellow." Lloyd commented with an amused tone.

"I will admit, for a prince...well I guess for a human being in general, he's not what I expected." Cecile agreed.

"Yeah, he's something else..." Suzaku said with a smile.

...

So during the car ride back, after Cornelia and Euphemia had to pull his head out of the window(who wanted to feel the wind blow in his hair like a dog), Joseph explained to them, in his own fashion, what he has been doing for the last seven years. All the fun, hardships, and craziness they had, in as many words as he could anyway. When he showed the scars, Euphemia, of course, cried and gave her brother a big hug. And Cornelia swore she would eradicate every single person who touched her little brother. He finally caught up to how he found himself at Ashford Academy(without revealing Lelouch and Nunnally being there) where he recognized Suzaku and Milly Ashford. They cleaned him up and got him back to ASEEC

"Well, we certainly need to give Milly our thanks when we have the chance!" Euphemia said with excitement.

"Indeed, the Ashfords deserve some reward for taking care of our brother." Cornelia said seriously but with a small smile.

Joseph gave a thumbs up sign.

"Still, if you've been in Area 11 for 3 weeks, why didn't you try reaching out to Clovis?" Cornelia asked with curiosity.

"Did. Got shot out." Joseph casually said. This confused the sisters.

"What do you mean shot out?" Euphemia asked nervously.

"Went there(pointing at the Viceroy Palace they were heading to). Said, 'Hey! Where brother Clovis?'. Guard shot at me." Joseph explained with a dopey smile.

Euphemia had a small WTF face while Cornelia was giving him a deadpan look. Out of all ways her brother tried to get in, that was his plan?! She could only think of one thing to say.

"I guess that's a lesson learned for you then?" Cornelia asked.

"...Nope." Joseph said with a smile.

Of course for him, he probably could have gone in there if he really wanted to. But it was clear there was some animosity going on over there, so he thought it was probably better to wait until the heads over there cooled down.

Cornelia just sighed while pinching her nose. Euphemia decided to change the subject.

"Joseph, earlier you called Pvt. Kururugi your training buddy. What did you mean?" asked Euphemia.

"Training buddy! Learned fights together!" Joseph said with gleeful nostalgia.

"When on Earth was this?" Cornelia asked, surprised her brother actually _associated_ with that eleven before.

"Years ago. Mom. Six month trip." Joseph explained.

"Oh that's right, when him and Lady Rebecca traveled around the world to help broaden his mind." Euphemia said happily to Cornelia.

"Oh yes, Lady Rebecca was adamant that you travel with her so you could get a taste of other people's cultures. Though much good it did considering a third of the world is ruled by Britannia." Cornelia said offhandedly, making Euphemia a bit sad from the world's predicament.

"Eeh, still fun." Joseph causally said.

Cornelia couldn't help but chuckle, she always did have a soft spot for Joseph's optimism for things, despite how tiny they might have been. But then she thought about her other siblings.

"Um...Joseph...I don't know how much you're aware of what has happened with our family...but-" Cornelia was slowly approaching the taboo subject, but Joseph finished for her.

"Lelouch, Nunnally, Lady Marianne...gone...should of been there, bad brother!" Joseph said regretfully. This caused for Euphemia to take his hands into hers.

"Please don't say that! Not of it is your fault!" Euphemia cried. She didn't want her brother to feel that burden, it hurt too much.

"She's right, you are entirely blameless in an event that occurred months after you were gone! Whoever the culprit was for Marianne's assassination was a coward, didn't even have the decency to kill her on the battlefield! Besides, if anything, I'm the one to blame for Marianne's death." Cornelia said at the end quietly.

"You?" Joseph asked confused. Cornelia looked down in shame.

"Earlier that same day...Marianne asked me to withdraw the royal guard from her home that night. I strongly advised she reconsider but she would not hear it. I should have stayed behind just in case...maybe then..." Cornelia couldn't finish, as it was a reminder of what couldn't be.

_"Sister..._" Euphemia thought sadly.

Joseph then out of nowhere brought his sister into a hug and patted her back like she was a baby.

"There, there. All here now. New memories together." Joseph said with comfort in his voice. Euphemia smiled at that.

"Agreed. We'll make so many new happy memories together." Euphemia said with glee as she brought herself into the hug the two were in, which Joseph gladly took.

Cornelia just gave a small chuckle, she honestly felt really happy in this moment. Like a piece of her had been restored.

"indeed..." Was all she said.

However, there was something in Joseph's mind that he couldn't get out.

_"If Cornelia dismissed the guard on Marianne's orders, that must mean she was talking to someone she knew that night! Someone she didn't want people to see. That's what all the people do in those conspiracy films! Curiouser and Curiouser, I should bring this to Lelouch's attention the next time I see him."_

_..._

_Viceroy Palace_

Joseph looked around at the huge mansion they were in, the last time he was in a place this big was probably the Aries Villa.

"Cool." Joseph casually said.

"Yes, the architects certainly did a fine job designing this place." Cornelia said as she and Euphemia gave him a tour.

They stopped by the Viceroy's office first, Joseph glanced at the paintings, especially the one of Marianne with Lelouch and Nunnally when they were kids.

"Here's the viceroy's office, all these paintings were done by Clovis. Such gentle colors." Euphemia said, remembering her brother fondly.

"Yeah..." Joseph said quietly. But then he noticed something.

"No mom." Now he was bit offended.

"Um, well, she most likely never posed for him..." Euphemia tried to explain, but then Joseph took a painting of a bowl of fruit from the wall.

"Eat fruit! Don't waste!" Joseph lectured Euphemia, and then proceeding to throw the painting out the window.

The closed window...

"J-Joe!" Euphemia exclaimed at Joseph's carelessness of Clovis's work and the palace property.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure someone puts it back and fixes the window." Cornelia said tiredly.

Joseph took the picture out of his mom out of his coat and took the nail that was holding the fruit painting up and inserted his mom's picture instead.

"Much better." Joseph said with a smile, and then walking out of the office, making the two sisters have to follow after him. They enter a space that had a television, a table, and a couch.

"Uh, right. Well this hear is the living room where you can relax if need be..." Euphemia said, noticing Joseph touching the carpet.

"Soft..." Was all he said in a somewhat tired tone.

"Indeed, special ordered from Area 8(Turkey)." Cornelia explained before turning around.

"Now to show you where you will be sleeping."

"I don't think that'll be necessary Cornelia." Euphemia said with a whisper.

"What do you..." Cornelia didn't have to finish as she saw Euphemia kneeling next to an asleep Joseph, who was lightly snoring.

Cornelia couldn't help but smile as she kneeled next to Euphemia, who took a pillow from the couch and put it under his head so he could be more comfy.

"I guess it's to be expected. It's probably been years since he's been in a real home." Cornelia said as she brushed locks of his hair.

"Yes..." Euphemia quietly said before planting a small kiss on Joseph's eyebrow before turning to Cornelia. "It truly is a miracle sister, we lost a brother, but we still gained one back." She said with tearful glee and Cornelia couldn't help but share those feelings as well.

"Indeed, and we shouldn't take it for granted..." Cornelia said, knowing now that she was going to be sure that her brother stayed in the same location this time.

Euphemia just smiled, as she was happy in this moment.

Joseph let out a snore from his peaceful sleep.

_To be Continued..._

**Finally done with that one. In this chapter, I really wanted to show how Joseph would react to Cecile's food and what he would finally do when reunited with his sisters. And yes, it is a risk for Lelouch to let his brother go like that, but he still has enough trust left to give it to his brother, and his brother knows how important it is the beans don't get spilled. I also wanted to establish the basis of Joseph's and Cornelia's relationship with each other, his and Euphemia's will be shown later on. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, comment and stay tuned!**


	10. Eup!

_Viceroy Palace_

Joseph opened his eyes and sprung back up to get a look at his surroundings. He remembered yesterday's events that he was in the living room of the viceroy's palace. It was still early morning, 6 or 7am to be exact. He looked outside and saw the sun starting to dawn on the city, he always liked this time of the day, always so beautiful and tranquil.

He then heard a door open and a saw a maid enter the room, she gasped at him. Forgetting the news that the returned prince was here. Joseph brought a finger to his lips.

"Ssssh...early morning." Joseph said quietly to the maid.

"Uh, yes, your highness." The maid nervously said, bowing to him and then scurrying off to the next room.

Joseph never did get why people couldn't act normal around him just because he was a prince. He didn't act any different from anybody else.

Putting the thought off, he decided to open up the window and climb up to the roof. Once he was on the roof, he opened his arms wide and felt the cool breeze run through his body.

_"Life doesn't get better than this." _Joseph thought blissfully.

After that, he went back inside and decided to tour around the palace, it's been awhile since he had been in one and he knew they were big. He explored the hallways, opened cabinets, entered rooms even if some of the patrons were still sleeping, until he finally came upon a large room.

The ball room.

_"Ah yes, the place where predators hide in the shadows and pounce on their prey as mom told me...Also a great area to make some moves!"_ Joseph thought as a light bulb turned on in his head.

He took off his shoes, grabbed his walkman and pressed the play button, relying on whatever song that played to be the right one in that moment.

Which it was.

_One two three hit me_

_Bop be bop, bop be bop be deed bop_

_Bop be bop, bop yeah_

(Joseph bops his head with the beat)

_Bass man, huh, come on up_

_One two three hit me_

_Uh, sound good, yeah_

_Saxophone on the floor, one two three, hit it_

(Joseph takes a few steps forward, making small kicks in the air)

_Yeah, ow, uh, come on_

(Mimics the "ow" in a James Brown type of way)

_Horns hit it, uh, yeah_

(Euphemia and Cornelia are woken up by the sound. "What the heck?" Cornelia groggily says.)

_Hey girl lets rock with Jimmy Early_

_Got a home in the hills, Mercedes benz_

_Hot swimming pool, got lots of friends_

_Got Clothes by the acre, credit to spare_

(Joseph struts down the ballroom in a funky manner, Cornelia and Euphemia enter wondering what the commotion is about. They see him dancing, Euphemia grows a wide smile. "Oooh, he still dances!" Euphemia quietly said in an excited tone, not wanting to break her brother's concentration. Cornelia sighs, "I thought he would of grown out of this..." quietly says in an annoyed tone.)

_I could wake up tomorrow and find nobody there_

_But Jimmy want more, Jimmy want more_

_Jimmy want, Jimmy want, Jimmy want more_

(Joseph nut bumps the "Jimmy want" part, making Euphemia giggle and Cornelia pinch her nose.)

_Listen_

_Jimmy want a rib, Jimmy want a steak_

(Joseph slides left, then he slides right)

_Jimmy want a piece of your chocolate cake_

(Joseph then bends down and smacks his bottom, Making Euphemia say "Oh my" in surprise and Cornelia groan in disgust.)

_Above all of that Jimmy wants some break_

_'Cause Jimmy got soul, Jimmy got soul_

_Jimmy got, Jimmy got, Jimmy got soul_

(Joseph does the splits after the last "soul" and then quickly rising back up with ease. Euphemia looks on with amazement, even Cornelia perked up an eyebrow as she also thought it was impressive.)

_Sooner or later the time comes around_

_For a man to be a man and take back his sound_

(Joseph continues to lipsync and backwards walks as he swings to the beat)

_I got to do something to shake things up_

_I like Johnny Mathis, but I can't do that stuff_

(He spins around to look at Euphemia and Cornelia, surprising them that he knew they were there, and pointing at them as the "but I can't do that stuff" lyric pops up.

_Jimmy got soul, Jimmy got soul, Jimmy got S-O-U-L, soul_

(Jospeh counts the letters of SOUL on his fingers and then falls backwards to do a back flip. Making Euphemia laugh with joy and Cornelia roll her eyes)

_I can't do rock, I can't do roll_

(Does a pose with "rock" and "roll")

_What I can do, baby, is show my soul_

_'Cause Jimmy got soul, Jimmy got soul_

_Jimmy got, Jimmy got, Jimmy got soul_

(Joseph puts his hand out to Euphemia as an invitation to join him, which she takes with enthusiasm as she runs down. He grabs her hand, spins her around in a wide circle and then gathering her into a hug, making her laugh again)

When the song ended, Euphemia gives him a round of applause and Joseph bows in thanks.

"You haven't lost your touch at all! I missed your dances." Euphemia said happily.

"Dance machine!" Joseph said as he wiggled his arms.

"Yes, I'm...surprised you still do that..." Cornelia politely said.

"Music stays forever!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Yay!" Euphemia exclaimed agreeing with him.

Cornelia just sighed, but wasn't surprised by her sister.

Out of all his siblings, Joseph always got along the best with Euphemia. She would always join in on his antics, whether it be dancing, pranking, or just plain helping annoy someone, she always did it with optimism and positivity by his side.

Whether it was her way of staying innocent or making Joseph feel like he wasn't alone, Cornelia always ended up being the one reaping what is sown by the two.

"Yes, we have a busy day ahead of us for you." Cornelia said to him.

"Ooh, more dancing!" Joseph asked in anticipation.

"No." Cornelia deadpanned. "The first thing we're doing is taking you to the dentist." Cornelia instructed.

"Why dentist?" Joseph asked curiously. Making Cornelia's eyebrow twitch.

"Tell me Joseph? When is the last time you brushed your teeth?" Cornelia asked in a deadpan tone.

"Yesterday." Joseph answered casually.

"Before that." Cornelia said with annoyance.

"Hmmmm...six months?" Joseph said again with casualness

"Exactly, now please go take a shower and then we'll get going." Cornelia instructed.

"Showered yesterday." Joseph said in an obvious tone.

"GO TAKE A SHOWER!" Cornelia ordered.

"Geesh. Mr. Bossy..." Joseph muttered to Euphemia, making her giggle.

...

On the ride to the Dentist office, Joseph decided to once again entertain himself and his sisters to some tunes. This time coming from a rapper named "M and M", which consisted of a lot of foul languages, a lot slurs that a noble or a royal would dare not utter, and saying them all at a faster speed than most singers. Cornelia was, of course, disgusted that music like this even existed and couldn't understand how Joseph was able to listen to it so passionately. Joseph just pointed at his Walkman and said "Rap God" and continued to lip-sync the words and move his head and arms to the beat. Euphemia, while not her type of music, could understand why others would like it. If you got passed the vulgar language, the lyrics had a deep meaning to them, it was like a new generation of poetry. She just watched Joseph with understanding and amusement.

Once they got to the dentist, he was surprised by the fact that one: he was going to work on the teeth of an _actual_ prince. And two: just how untaken care of Joseph's teeth were.

He had 16 cavities, needed 20 fillings, had to replace three of his back teeth with crowns, **all** his teeth needed whitening, and was pretty sure that his wisdom teeth were never removed. It was the least to say that the dentist had his work cut out for him, the princesses knew it and paid him well for it. Joseph just said "Thanks doc!" after he took the cotton balls out of his mouth that were preventing his gums from bleeding all over the place, to which he then spit blood into a nearby trashcan, making a kid scream and cry, begging his mom to take him home. Both the princesses issued apologies and made sure to get Joseph out of there before he did any irreversible damage.

...

"Now what?" Joseph asked casually, not realizing he may have traumatized a kid. Cornelia, really refraining herself from smacking Joseph upside the head, just sighed.

"Now, we are going to contact the Emperor to let him know of your survival."

"Eh, won't care." Joseph said matter-of-factly as he waved off the suggestion, surprising Cornelia and Euphemia.

"Don't say that Joseph. I'm sure he'll want to know." Euphemia said, not really sure herself.

"Besides, we're suppose to keep his Majesty updated with all new events here in Area 11." Cornelia said in an instructing tone. Joseph just shrugged.

"If say so."

They went into the Viceroy's office and contacted the Emperor.

While Joseph was still angry at his dad for what he did to Lelouch and Nunnally, he couldn't help but be excited either. The last time he had a conversation with his dad was so many years ago, and it while he did so with the same stern expression he's had for years, it was still nice.

The screen popped up and he saw his dad, and the anger momentarily went away. As he was happy to just see his father again.

"You better have some news of the situation over there Viceroy, otherwise you're wasting my time." Their dad instructed with a strict tone.

_"Always business before pleasure, huh dad?" _Joseph thought with amusement.

"My troops are getting rid of terrorist cells one by one, your majesty, the only real threat is Zero and we'll no doubt stop him in no time." Cornelia told him a professional manner.

_"I love you Corn, but I seriously doubt that." _Joseph thought with amusement.

"Hmm...I doubt you would call me to just let me know of that." Charles said in a stern tone.

"Um, yes your highness. We actually have had a reunion recently and-"

Before Cornelia can finish, Joseph rams himself into her so he can finally talk to his dad.

"Dad! Missed ya! How the ruling?!" Joseph asked in an excited tone.

Cornelia, still recovering from the body slam, just muttered "ow..." And Euphemia was looking at him with wide-eyed expressions as she couldn't believe her brother just addressed the emperor in such a manner.

The Emperor, on the other hand, just arched his eyebrow up without changing his stern expression.

"Who on Earth is this buffoon?" Charles asked with a bored tone.

"Uh, I-it's your son, your highness, Joseph Du Britannia." Euphemia decided to chime in, Joseph happily waved at him.

"...Ah yes, the dimwit, I honestly thought you died some time ago." Charles said in a casual tone. Shocking Euphemia and subtlety angering Cornelia.

Joseph on the other hand, wasn't fazed by it at all.

"Nope! Alive! Well!" Joseph said with glee, pumping his muscles like a body builder.

"Hmph. If this is all you have for me Viceroy, I advise if you contact me again, you make it worth my time. Understood?" The Emperor said in a serious manner.

"...understood your highness." Cornelia quietly said, knowing all she could do was bow to him.

"Bye dad. Love you." Joseph said as he waved goodbye.

This made Cornelia do a spit take and Euphemia freeze.

Never had they heard someone use the "L" word towards their father before. Not even his consorts.

Charles on his end just stared with the same stern expression for a second.

Once again, while it was stern, Joseph could see subtle sadness in his eyes again. He couldn't help but wonder why. His father then turned off the communications between them.

Cornelia and Euphemia let out a HUGE breath of relief, and stared at their brother as if he was mad. Which Joseph didn't get as he was doing was just talking to his dad.

"Told ya. Won't care." Joseph said with his dopey smile.

"But...still, to actually call you a dimwit, I mean..." Euphemia stuttered out, while she knew her father wasn't one to be a "parent", she would think he would acknowledge his son more than just "the dimwit".

"Eh, all good, more skull than brain!" Joseph brushed off as he put his arm over Euphemia's shoulders and tapped his head to express his hard head.

Euphemia couldn't help but smile, her big brother, always the optimist.

"I suppose that meeting went as well as I thought it would. Oh well, at least now he's aware." Cornelia said.

...

_Pendragon_

_The Throne Room_

After Charles turned off the communicator, he heard snickering coming from the side of him.

"My, my. I honestly thought you were going to shed a tear there for a second, oh mighty emperor."

Coming out of the shadows, the voice belongs to a young teenaged girl with pink hair and red irises around her eyes.

"Oh come off it, Marianne." Charles said in an annoyed tone.

"Sorry, I just never actually heard any of your children actually say the "L" word towards you. I'm your wife and even I've never said it." Marianne chuckled.

"Hmm..." Was all Charles said, not wanting to comment on it.

"Still, I am surprised to see Joseph there. Like you, I thought he died some years ago. But nope, it seems the little moron has somehow survived out there by himself for over seven years like our darling, Lelouch." Marianne thought nostalgically. "Do you think he'll become a problem with our plans?" Marianne asked curiously.

This made the Emperor chuckle.

"Please, even I consider Nunnally more of a threat than him." Charles said with humor.

"He-he, that is true!" Marianne laughed.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

"So, now what?" Joseph asked curiously about what's next on their schedule.

"Now, **_I'm_** going on a mission while **_you _**and Euphemia stay here." Cornelia said with her "mom" voice.

"Aaaah, booooring!" Joseph whined. "Jump buildings instead!" He suggested.

"I don't know what that means but you are going to stay here where it's safe with Euphemia so she can keep an eye on you." Cornelia instructed while looking at Euphemia, making sure she agreed with her.

"Um, yes, of course sister. I'll make sure he's kept safe and sound" Euphemia reassured as she wrapped her arms around Joseph's arm.

"Hmm, very well. (Points at him) Behave." Cornelia ordered and the proceeding to walk away.

"Not kid. Grown ass man!" Joseph said, deepening his voice to sound older.

"No you're not!" Cornelia yelled back, making Euphemia giggle at the whole exchange.

After she left, Euphemia looks at him with sympathy.

"Please forgive her, after what happened to Lelouch and Nunnally, she's become really protective." Euphemia said sadly.

Joseph patted her on the head and said, "Understand." Euphemia smiled.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Sneak out?" Joseph asked cheeky.

"Sneak out." Euphemia agreed with enthusiasm.

...

_Euphemia's Room_

"We wish not to be disturbed!" Euphemia ordered.

"Or else!" Joseph added on with a fist.

"Uh yes, your highnesses!" The guards yelled.

"A bit too much?" Euphemia asked once they entered.

"Nah. No disturbance." Joseph reassured.

Euphemia nodded with agreement, she then put on a cap to hid her hair and went to her bed to grab some sheets.

"Now, when I did this the first time, I used-" Euphemia didn't get to finish as she heard Joseph push open the windows.

"All right. Bingo-bango-ready to gogo!" Joseph said as he came over to her.

"But I haven't-" Once again, Euphemia didn't get to finish as she was suddenly lifted into a piggy back by Joseph.

"Let's go!" Joseph said with excitement.

"W-wait, Joseph! What are you doooOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Euphemia yelled as Joseph ran out the window and jumped onto a nearby building.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" Euphemia yelled with both excitement and fear, mostly fear.

"WWWWHHHHHOOOOOO!" Joseph yelled with excitement as he jumped from building to building, glad he was able to let his sister on this experience.

...

_Tokyo Settlement_

After a few more building jumps, Joseph finally landed in an alleyway that was in the center of the Tokyo settlement.

Joseph put down a frazzled Euphemia, who was sucking in deep breaths from hysteria.

"So that's what you meant by...'jump buildings'." Euphemia said quietly, still shellshocked by what just happened.

"Yep! Fun right!" Joseph asked excitedly.

"...Uh yeah...fun. But, how about we walk the rest of the way, okay?" Euphemia nervously suggested, wondering what the hell her brother has been up to all these years.

"Okie-dokie." Joseph simply said as he shrugged and went on their way.

...

_Saitama Settlement_

"Zero is a criminal with a flair for the theatrics." Cornelia was telling her knights and soldiers. "I've recreated the same conditions in Shinjuku in order to draw him out. If he's the overconfident type, I predict he'll come out here to try and kill me." She Continued.

"Viceroy, you'd really risk your own life like this?" A soldier asked.

"What you fail to understand is that war is a struggle between pride and life." Cornelia lectured.

...

_Ashford Academy_

"Any word from Zero, Ohgi?" Kallen asked over the phone.

_"Nothing yet. I don't get it, it's been a __few days since we rescued Suzaku and he hasn't contacted us agin for another mission. What's he waiting for?" _Ohgi asked.

"Maybe for the next moment to strike." Kallen suggested.

_"Yeah, I suppose. So, how's school going?" _Ohgi asked, deciding to change the subject.

Kallen on her end, was thinking about the prince she met. His optimistic attitude, his over-the-top behavior, and his unique taste in music.

_"Kallen?"_ Ohgi repeated.

She snapped out of it, realizing she hasn't said anything for a few moments.

"Uh, you know, same old, same old." Kallen reasoned.

_"Oh, alright. Well I'll keep you updated. Talk soon."_ Ohgi said.

"Yeah, talk soon." Kallen said hanging up her phone. Wondering if she made the right decision.

...

_Tokyo Settlement_

"Wonder how Corn is?" Joseph asked as he licked some ice cream Euphemia bought for them.

"I'm sure she's cleaning up the terrorist cells like she said she would. If anything, she's probably trying to draw out Zero" Euphemia commented, licking her own cone.

"Hmmm." Was all Joseph said.

While he knew his brother was a superhero now, he knew Corn was a military leader from all the medal she gotten, as well as the name he heard people called her, that being the Goddess of Victory. If dad was Darth Vader, she was Rattlesnake Jake.

"What do you think?" Euphemia asked.

"Of what?" Joseph asked back.

"Zero, what's your opinion on him?" Euphemia asked curiously.

Joseph was about to answer when he suddenly got hit in the head with a beer bottle. Unfazed by it of course.

"Get off our streets you bum!" A passerby in a car, who threw the bottle yelled.

"Hey! What's the matter with you!?" Euphemia yelled back, running after them until Joseph caught her.

"Whoa. Easy sis." Joseph nonchalantly said.

"But he had no reason to that! You shouldn't have to take it." Euphemia argued.

"Comes. Then goes. That is all." Joseph said waving his hand from side to the other in a philosophical sense.

Euphemia could only sigh.

"Come on, let's at least make sure you're not bleeding." Euphemia said as she took him over to sit down on some stairs and looked at his head, she saw some glass stuck in his hair.

"Sometimes I wish I had your philosophy on life Joseph. It would certainly make things a lot easier." Euphemia commented picking out the glass.

"Never too late." Joseph suggested. Euphemia smirked.

"Unlike you, me and my sister have actual responsibilities here in Japan. You have had that luxury of not having to do anything for over seven years." Euphemia explained.

"Hippie for life!" Joseph cheered, making Euphemia giggle but then her demeanor changed.

"Still, you are treated cruelly even after all these years, just for who you are. It's not fair." Euphemia said sadly.

"Such is life, little one." Joseph said like an old sage with a smile.

"...She would be really proud of you, knowing that her son has flourished in this world in his own way." Euphemia said sweetly.

"Damn right!" Joseph agreed enthusiastically as he stood back up with a jump, surprising Euphemia.

He then noticed a cart selling musical instruments. Including a ukulele.

Another lightbulb went off inside his head.

He grabbed Euphemia's hand and yanked her over to the cart.

"Ukulele please!" Joseph ordered brightly.

The salesman, while a bit flustered by Joseph's sudden appearance, did so.

Euphemia, even though confused by her brother's action, paid the man for the purchase.

...

_Saitama Settlement_

"I don't understand. Why won't Princess Cornelia order us to attack as well?" Jeremiah asked from Villeta's side.

"She won't because Orange is here. Just be thankful that you haven't been disposed of. You're to blame for this. It's due to you that our careers are over." Kewell insulted. Villetta thought he had some nerve considering he almost took _both_ their lives.

"You're wrong. Zero's the one who did it." Jeremiah angrily said.

"That again, humph." Kewell dismissed.

While Villetta was sympathetic towards Jeremiah's dilemma, a thought kept coursing through her head. While it was still blurring, she could still make out a student and what appeared to be a homeless person back in Shinjuku.

"Zero. Could that student and bum be working with him?"

...

_Tokyo Settlement_

Joseph took the ukulele in his arms, started strumming his fingers to find a tune until he finally settled on a beat.

Which was the end credits theme music Spongebob Squarepants, their favorite show growing up.

He started swinging his legs to the beat, he looked at Euphemia with a smile and started singing lyrics to the beat.

_Me and Eup hanging out..._

_(beat)_

_Jump buildings like mounts..._

(This made Euphemia giggle as she caught on to what he was doing, and started to slowly dance to the tune. The people around them were starting to stare, but they didn't care.)

_Corn were to learn it..._

_(beat)_

_She blow gasket_

(Euphemia decided to chime in her own lyrics)

_Our little secret..._

_(beat)_

_So be shushed about it..._

(Makes a shushing gesture, then they both sing at the same time)

_Shush, shush, shush, our little secret..._

_If they ask, say we eat peanuts..._

(They then make their merry way back to the viceroy palace.)

_Brother, sister hanging out, what be better than that?_

...

_Sewers_

Lelouch stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

"That's how Cornelia is. She's nothing at all like Clovis. Ah!" He sees a figure approaching him in his Zero costume. "Why did you rescue me?" He demanded.

The figure took of the mask, revealing to be C.C.

"I told you already. I can't have you dying." C.C. replied nonchalantly.

"I wouldn't have lost if the conditions were equal." Lelouch said angrily.

"You sore loser. If you're really that good, you should be able to set up conditions the way you want." C.C. came back with. Making Lelouch narrow his eyes at her.

"That's what I'll do then, I'll set them up. I'll raise an army that can't lose to Britannia. A people, a nation!" Lelouch said with a voice a leader should have.

_"Perhaps Joseph is right. If I want trust, I need to start giving some trust...I'm actually considering his advice, dear God, I am falling short of myself"_ Lelouch thought in his head.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

Joseph sneezed.

"Bless you." Euphemia said as she scooped another ball of ice cream into her bowl.

"Person talking at me." Joseph said as he swiped his nose with his sleeve.

"Oh yes, I believe that's an old Japanese belief." Euphemia happily commented.

"Yep-per-rooni." Joseph said with his dopey smile, making Euphemia giggle.

"And what are you two doing?" Cornelia asked walking into the kitchen.

"Sister you're back!" Euphemia gleefully said as she went over to Cornelia and pulled her into a hug.

"Here!" Joseph said as he pushed a bowl of ice cream into hands.

"Ice cream?" Cornelia asked confused.

"Yep. Joseph thought it be nice to have some together." Euphemia explained as Joseph sprayed whip cream onto her ice cream and then Cornelia's and then his.

"Sprinkles?" Joseph asked, shaking the container.

"Yes please." Euphemia said politely. He gestured to Cornelia.

"No thanks." Cornelia simply said with a small smile, not minding a sweet here and there.

"So, how was your mission? Are you any closer to getting Zero?" Euphemia asked.

"He made an appearance-" Cornelia was about to explain when Joseph came inches to her face in seconds.

"Oooh! Zero there?! Was it cool!?" Joseph asked excited.

"...I didn't take into factor whether it was 'cool' or not. He was there for moment and gone the next." Cornelia explained.

"Like Batman." Joseph said in awe, and then moving his coat over his body like a cape. Making Euphemia giggle and Cornelia sigh.

"Uh...yes. But enough about military. How was your day? Did you behave yourself? And Euphie, did you make sure he stayed out of trouble?" Cornelia asked suspiciously

Joseph and Euphemia looked at each other and smiled.

"Yep. It was a nice day." Euphemia said with positivity.

"All bright in sunlight!" Joseph rhymed happily.

"Mmm-hmm." Cornelia muttered, not entirely convinced.

"Very well. How about we enjoy our ice cream in the living room and you two can tell me more about it." Cornelia suggested with a cunning smile.

"Ok, Cornbread." Joseph agreed.

Euphemia had to cover her mouth from spewing out her ice cream from laughing. That was definitely a new nickname for her sister.

Cornelia on the other hand just sputter her words from being given a food name.

Joseph on the other hand was just happy, today was another great day.

It could only get better after this.

...

**This time I took this chapter to be more of a filler and to establish Joseph and Euphemia's relationship with each other, yeah the singing is silly but it's suppose to be, they're having a fun time together as brother and sister. The Saitama incident will be addressed in the next chapter and we will be seeing more canon in upcoming chapters as ****I wanted to finally get back to it****. As for Joseph and the Charles, while he is mad at his dad, he doesn't hate him and more of their relationship will be expanded upon in later chapters. Anyway, hope you enjoy and comment.**


	11. Eat That Horse!

Ashford_ Academy - Lelouch's bedroom_

"My mother dismissed her guard?" Lelouch asked shocked.

"Yep-yep. Corn said so. Means..." Joseph ended with, leading Lelouch to finish.

"That whoever murdered her was someone she didn't want anyone else to see." Lelouch concluded.

Joseph nodded, knowing that this was a serious matter.

_"But who could it be she needed to meet? Schniezel? If so, why the need to keep it a secret? One answers just leads to several more questions!" _ Lelouch thought as he gritted his teeth in frustration.

"So, how go?"

Lelouch looked up, his thought process broken, and saw that Joseph was looking at him in anticipation.

"Huh?" Lelouch asked confused.

"Fight with Corn. How go?" Joseph asked in an excited manner, he clearly wanted to hear about it.

Lelouch looked down in angry shame.

"I lost..." Lelouch muttered under his breath.

"Lost?" Joseph asked in a surprised tone.

"Yes. It was...eye opening to say the least." Lelouch muttered, still angry at himself for his defeat at the hands of Cornelia.

"What happened?" Joseph asked. While he was glad Cornelia wasn't hurt, he didn't want his brother to lose superhero streak before it even started. "Kallen help?" He asked.

"No. She wasn't there." Lelouch said.

"Why? She sidekick. Always bring sidekick. Superhero 101" Joseph explained.

"Again, she's not my sidekick. She's a subordinate if nothing else." Lelouch explained a bit aggravated.

"Well, use power then." Joseph suggested.

"I couldn't use it without my face being revealed." Lelouch said.

"Uhhh, costume." Joseph said in an obvious tone.

"...I didn't wear it..." Lelouch muttered through gritted teeth.

To which then Joseph bopped Lelouch on the head, leaving Lelouch surprised and confused.

"Rule number uno! Always. Wear. Super. Hero. Cos. Tume!" Joseph emphasized as waved his finger in Lelouch's face, he couldn't believe he had to tell his brother all this stuff. "Psssh, rookies..." Joseph said to C.C. as he rolled his eyes and pointed his thumb at Lelouch, which just annoyed Lelouch even further.

"Indeed, I had to put on the suit myself just to save his ass." C.C. said in a bored tone while laying down on the bed. Lelouch glared at her, he couldn't believe he was actually getting railroaded by these two.

"Jedi Master!" Joseph exclaimed, pointing his fingers at her.

C.C. just rolled her eyes and turned away from them.

"Clearly need help. No worry bro. Got back!" Joseph exclaimed, smacking Lelouch's back, making him groan in pain a bit.

"What do you mean-" Before Lelouch could finish asking his question, Joseph interrupted him, AGAIN.

"Gotta get back, no suspicion from Corn. Next battle, LMK!" Joseph said as he left the room through the window, leaving a very confused Lelouch.

"You do realize-" C.C. tried to get a word in.

"Shut it." Lelouch interrupted, clearly not in the mood to hear any of her snark.

...

_Viceroy Office_

"Please Cornelia, it'll just be for a couple of days, and I'll have my bodyguard with me the entire time." Euphemia begged her sister from behind the desk.

"Euphemia, you haven't even been acknowledged in Area 11 yet." Cornelia argued.

"Exactly, it'll be nice to have a little vacation while observing the Sakuradite negotiations. This way, I'll have less bother from civilians." Euphemia explained.

"Yes, and it'll just be more dangerous for you too." Cornelia stubbornly said.

"Well, how about I bring Joseph with me as extra protection." Euphemia suggested.

"Absolutely not! That'll just become **you** babysitting **him**." Cornelia struck down immediately, not wanting her sister's life in Joseph's hands.

"Come now, sister. You've seen his scars, he's been taking care of himself from all known predators for years." Euphemia argued.

"Maybe so. But he can still be very reckless, getting so many scars was probably a result of that. Speaking of Joseph, where has he gone to anyway?" Cornelia found herself asking.

"HERE!" Joseph shouted from behind her.

"DAH!" Cornelia screamed, falling from her chair and pulling her gun out to point at Joseph, making Euphemia laugh hysterically.

"YOU NEED TO STOP DOING THAT!" Cornelia yelled, putting her gun away.

For the last couple of days, Joseph has been treating Cornelia to some jump scares here and there. Why? He just found it fun to prank his sister every once in awhile.

The guards came bursting in, wondering why the Viceroy screamed. They were ready to shoot Joseph down, because they thought he was some homeless man, when Cornelia quickly ordered their dismissal.

"Where did you even come from?!" Cornelia asked, having calmed down a bit.

"Window." Joseph casually explained, pointing at the open window.

"You did say you wanted some fresh air." Euphemia cheekily said, as she clearly was in on it.

Cornelia glared at the both of them, before getting back in her seat.

"I'm assuming Euphemia told you about this trip she wants to make to the Lake Kawaguchi hotel?" Cornelia asked.

"Yep-per-rooni. I go too?" Joseph asked excitedly.

"No." Cornelia said in a strict tone.

"Come on, please, best behavior, choir mouse!" Joseph begged.

"Yeah, choir mice." Euphemia said.

"You(pointing at Euphemia), stop encouraging him! And you(pointing at Joseph), the answer is still no!" Cornelia said, now aggravated.

Joseph and Euphemia both slumped, but then an idea came to Joseph's head.

"A's after Z, except before B. B's after A, except before C. C's after B, except before D." Joseph started to perform a mantra, and Euphemia, seeing where this was going, decided to join him.

"D's after C, except before E. E's after D, except before F. F's after E, except before G." Joseph and Euphemia happily said together, making a tune out of it.

"ALL RIGHT! Fine, you both can go." Cornelia said in an annoyed but defeated tone.

"Yay!" Joseph said.

"But you both have to do what your bodyguard says, got it!?" Cornelia asked in a strict tone.

"Thank you sister!" Euphemia happily said as she engulfed Cornelia into a hug.

"Best big sis ever!" Joseph exclaimed, also getting in on the hug.

"(Sighs) Go pack." Cornelia said as they both left dancing to a silent tune. Cornelia pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What am I going to do with those two?" Cornelia quietly asked herself.

...

_Subway_

Shirley stared out of her compartment window in amazement.

"I've never left the Tokyo Settlement before, this is my first time!" Shirley said in excitement.

"I'm sure you wish Lelouch could have come with us, don't you?" Milly teased.

"No, ah..." Shirley nervously said, frazzled and red in the face.

"Don't be so shy. Tonight we can stay up all night talking. Let's tell each other which boys we like from school." Milly teased again with a sly smile on her face.

"Then you'll probably have a lot to talk about, right Ms. President?" Shirley muttered in a deadpan tone.

"Who can say?" Milly cheerfully said.

The train goes through a tunnel and everything becomes darker.

"Ah!" Nina shrieked, scared of the sudden change in light and clutching her hands into fist.

"Nina, it's all right. There are lots of Britannian tourists at Lake Kawaguchi so security's fine. Don't be afraid, it's not the ghettos." Milly gently said to her as she took Nina's hands into hers.

"Yes, but…" Nina said nervously.

"We'll be with you the whole time. We won't leave your side for a second." Milly reassured.

"Thanks." Nina said quietly, feeling a little bit better.

_Meanwhile in another compartment_

"THIS! IS! NUTS!" Joseph screamed as he felt the fast winds blow on his face from the compartment window.

"Your highness, please! Another train could pass by any second." His bodyguard yelled as she tried to pull him back in, to no avail.

Euphemia just smiled at the shenanigans .

...

_Ghettos_

Ohgi opens the door and is surprise to see the inside.

"What are you waiting for? Come in. As of now, this place will be our hideout." Zero's mechanical voice said to them as they enter the large vehicle.

"So, you think joining up with us is a good idea?" Ohgi asked him, looking at his surroundings.

"Yes. We're comrades, after all." Zero said.

It was clear for Lelouch that if he was going to continue his rebellion, he would need people who could actually **follow** orders. And Kallen's group was the best fit.

"Holy cow." Tamaki exclaimed at his surroundings.

"Do you mind if I ask how you came by this?" Ohgi asked.

"I borrowed it from a rather libertine nobleman who indulges my requests." Zero said.

"You asked for it, just like that?" Ohgi asked, a little suspicious.

"Don't worry, no strings attached." Zero reassured.

"It's huge. Check it out, it's got a second story." Sugimaya said in awe.

"On the other hand, no one would expect us in something like this." Kallen commented.

"It's even got a TV." Minami said as he turned the TV on. Revealing a News anchor.

_"How are things looking at the scene?"_ The News anchor asked the reporter.

It's cuts to a news reporter in front of a building.

_"I'm here in front of the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. The hotel-jackers have identified themselves as the Japan Liberation Front."_ The news reporter said.

"Huh?"

"What's happening?"

The scene on the TV cuts to a bunch of hostages surrounded by JLF members.

_"Members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, most notably Chairman James, were taken hostage, as well as several tourists and hotel employees. This footage was taken by the perpetrators. In it, you can clearly see Chairman James, including some students." _The news reporter said.

Kallen's eyes settle on a group she recognized.

"From the Student Council." Kallen said in quiet surprise.

"Hm?" Zero slightly turned his head in attention to the TV.

The camera showed Milly, Shirley, and Nina with their hands over their heads. Nina looking more frightened than the others.

...

_JLF Headquarters_

Todoh watches the news with the members of the Four Holy Swords with focused attention.

_"The leader of the group claims to be Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe of the now defunct Japanese…"_ The reporter said.

"That imbecile!" Tohdoh exclaimed, smacking his lap.

He told Kusakabe this plan was a bad idea, that it would only make the Britannian military crack down on them even further.

_"That fool never listens!"_ Tohdoh thought to himself angrily.

...

_Ghettos_

_"Sakuradite, an essential component in the manufacture of high-temperature superconductors, is a vital strategic resource that directly affects world security. Area 11 is the largest producer of this material, providing 70% of the world's total supply. Here at the yearly national meeting of sakuradite producers, it will be determined how this resource will be distributed among the world's nations. It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome determines the balance of global power between Britannia and other countries. It is believed that the terrorists are using world interest in the annual gathering to their advantage by carrying out this violent hotel takeover."_ The news reporter said.

"So they made their move." Tamaki commented.

"They're easily the biggest anti-Britannian force in Japan, and now their pride's hurt." Ohgi added on.

"Because of us?" Minami asked.

"Maybe." Was all Ohgi could answer.

"I don't know whether to feel happy or sad about that, because they're all gonna end up dead." Tamaki said with empathy. He may have not liked Britannians but there were still kids in that building.

Lelouch on the other hand, had chosen to remain silent under his Zero mask, calculating on what to do next. But then he hears his phone ring, he takes it out and sees the name of the caller.

"Rivalz?" Lelouch quietly said to himself.

He pushed the mute button. Now wasn't the time.

_"I know Rivalz, but…"_ Was all Lelouch could think until Minami brought forth his attention.

"What's up with that guy? Minami asked with confusion.

"What guy?" Sugimaya asked him.

"The guy staring wide-eyed at the camera." Minami said getting a closer look.

"...Minami, they're **all **staring at the camera wide-eyed, they're scared out of their wits." Inoue said a bit annoyed at the obviousness.

"Not this guy, look, he's behind some people, but you'll start to notice him." Minami said as he pointed at the screen.

The group, including Zero, went to get a better look at what exactly Minami was seeing that they weren't. And when they finally saw it, both Kallen's and Lelouch's eyes widen at the person they were looking at. Which happened to be a man with a beard, wide eyes, a toothy grin, and who appeared to be wearing, a black overcoat.

One thought flew through Kallen's and Lelouch's head as they watched the screen.

_"Oh no..."_

"Yeah, you're right. He's looks...happy, excited even." Inoue said with surprise.

"Man, did the guy smoke a joint or something before they were taken hostage?" Tamaki commented, somewhat weirded out by the this guy's behavior.

"He kind of looks like a homeless man, doesn't he?" Yoshida asked.

"I don't know, but I feel like it's not going to do the hostages any wonders if he keeps grinning like that." Ohgi said with unease.

"Hey Kallen, you ok?" Sugimaya asked with concern, snapping Kallen out of her own world.

Kallen didn't realize she looked transfixed at the screen.

"Uh yeah, I'm just trying to decipher what's the hell's going on with this guy." Kallen innocently said.

Lelouch on the hand, was **LIVID** under that mask of his.

_"WHAT ON EARTH IS HE DOING THERE!? HE LITERALLY HAS NO REASON TO BE THERE! ...Unless..." _

Lelouch's eyes widen under his mask as another revelation was made to him.

...

_Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

Joseph could not believe it...

HE WAS ON TV!

When he saw the soldiers bring in the cameras, his excitement grew 100x times in that moment. He always admired the people he saw on TV, there with all their being, not afraid of who they are and what they're doing.

And now, he got to be part of that!

He was about a to rise up a little more so he could wave at the cameras when he was suddenly pulled down again by Euphemia.

"Joseph, stay low." Euphemia softly but firmly ordered.

"But Eup, on TV!" Joseph cheered, but making sure to do it quietly because Euphemia was doing it too.

"Joseph, we're in a hostage situation, remember?" Euphemia asked in quiet exasperation.

He stared blankly at her for a few moments before realization hits him.

"Oh yeeeaaaaahhh...doh." Joseph said as he finally remembered why they were on the TV in the first place.

_"Ah man, I finally get to be on TV and it has to be because I'm being held hostage. Oh well, at least I have Eup and my friends of the student council here with me..._

_...__...__...Oh wait, that's also bad. Darn it, I'm not finding a bright side to this day!" _ Joseph angrily thought to himself.

Euphemia on her end was just thinking...

_"Maybe I should have let Joseph stay back at the palace." _

...

_Viceroy's Transport_

"Wiped out?" Darlton asked.

"It looks as though they've modified a Glasgow into a linear cannon." A soldier said.

"Then there's no way we can break through."

"What do we do now? If we release the political prisoners as they demand-"

"We can't show weakness to terrorists!" Cornelia exclaimed in a strict tone.

"But, Princess Euphemia and Prince Joseph…" Guilford said to her.

"Yes I know." Cornelia said quietly.

"Thus far it appears that none of them have discovered that fact. If they learn that Princess Euphemia is among the hostages, they'll undoubtedly use her as a bargaining chip. She went there just to observe, therefore she isn't registered along with the other guests." Darlton said.

Cornelia noticed something in his statement.

"...Darlton, you didn't make any mention of Joseph." Cornelia said with a bit of venom in her voice.

Darlton just sighed.

"Your highness, you have always known me to be honest with you. And you know I'm right when I say that if the JLF were to discover Joseph, they will **not** hesitate to kill him. Because they're **not **going to see a prince, all they're going to see is a moronic bum who somehow got involved in this mess." Darlton told her bluntly.

Cornelia clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, had it been any other soldier, she would have shot him on the spot. But in truth, she knew he was right.

"...Don't ever call him a "bum" or a "moron" again..." Cornelia said with a quiet, venomous tone that made the soldiers stand up straight with a chill down their spine.

However, Darlton managed to stand steadfast. He bowed to her.

"Apologies, your highness." Darlton said quietly.

Cornelia looked onto screen in front of her.

_"Euphie, Joseph, please be safe..." _Cornelia thought to herself.

...

_Ghettos_

_"We need to organize before we fight them again. It's too soon though, we're not ready, but we can't just sit here and do nothing either. Knowing Cornelia, she would have sacrificed the hostages already if it weren't for Euphemia and Joseph being there._

_...Perhaps..."_ An idea sprouted in Lelouch's head as Kallen approached him.

"Zero… what will happen to the hostages?" Kallen asked him a bit nervous

"Eventually, there will be no reason to keep those Britannians alive." Zero told her bluntly.

"Yeah… I'm sure you're right." Kallen said sadly as she thought about her friends...and even Joseph.

It was then Ohgi gave down the stairs with a box. He opened it revealing black uniforms.

"Hey Zero, I found these. Should I hand them out to everyone? I mean as far as gear goes it looks pretty hip but we're just a resistance group so-"

"Wrong! We're not a resistance group, is that clear?" Zero interrupted Ohgi.

"Uh. Well then, what are we?" Ohgi asked surprised.

"What we are, what we're trying to be… are knights for justice!" Zero proclaimed to the group as they looked at him in awe.

...

_Outside of __Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

_Sometime Later_

Zero stood toe to toe with Cornelia as she held the gun to his helmet.

"Well well, we meet again, Zero. Are you a member of the Japan Liberation Front? Or perhaps you intend to help us? Regardless, our concerns take priority over yours at the moment. And so for the death of my half-brother Clovis, I shall take my revenge right here." Cornelia said with venom in her voice.

"Cornelia, which would you choose: Clovis, who is dead, or Euphemia, who is alive?

"Ah!" Cornelia eyes widen.

_"My suspicion's confirmed. The first task at hand is completed. You haven't changed, dear sister. You've always doted on sweet little Euphemia. That's why you won't take aggressive action, your emotions are getting in the way. I can't lead her on that I know Joseph is in there too, it might look a little too suspicious." _Lelouch thought to himself.

"It's within my power to save Euphemia for you." Zero proclaimed.

"What do you mean? I have no idea what you're talking about." Cornelia proclaimed.

"I said that I'm able to rescue her." Zero insisted.

...

_Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

_"Yep, that guy is definitely not coming back."_ Joseph thought to himself as he thought back to the guy they took earlier.

He's seen plenty of films and tv shows and been in plenty of situations where he knows the perpetrator always kills a hostage to know they mean business. And this Kusakabe fellow was definitely not the type of guy to let this them go willingly.

"An…Eleven." He heard a small voice say, and that voice happened to belong to Nina.

"What did you say?" One of the JLF soldiers yelled.

"Aah!" Nina shrieked.

_"Oh Nina, that's a no-no word!" _Joseph thought as he watched the scene unfold.

"Not Elevens! We're Japanese, dammit." The JLF soldier yelled.

"Yes we're aware of that. Just lay off of her." Milly angrily said.

"Then correct her, we're not called Elevens." Another JLF soldier ordered.

"Fine, we'll correct her." Shirley said, also angrily.

"How dare you speak like that to me? You three, come with me to the next room and I'll teach you a real lesson." The first JLF soldier angrily said as he puts his hands on Nina.

Okay, now they were starting to cross the line. You do NOT hurt Joseph's family and friends. And considering the attitudes of these guys, they weren't going to let them leave here alive anyway. At the very least, he could stall until Lelouch or Cornelia made a move. Plus, with eyes on him, they won't notice his sister.

"I said get up now!" The JLF soldier said as he pulled Nina's hair.

"No! Let me go!" Nina cried.

"Do something, do it stupid." Joseph whispered to Euphemia after he cracked his neck.

"What?" Euphemia asked in a confused manner, wondering what he was up to.

Suddenly, Joseph jumped and stood up straight and yelled, "HEIWA!(PEACE!)"

This got everybody's attention as they were now looking at a man who looked like he was homeless. Euphemia was starring wide-eyed at her brother's sudden action, Milly and Shirley were surprised to see that Joseph was here, the JLF soldiers were surprised that they heard a Britannian(at least they think he was a Britannian) speak in Japanese, and Nina was just staring at Joseph in awe.

After a moment of confused silence, a JLF soldier spoke up as he threw Nina to the ground.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Peace. Joseph Du Britannia, volunteer as tribute!" Joseph exclaimed as he saluted two fingers in the air.

The people around him starred in shock as they couldn't believe their ears, was this really an actual prince in their presence. Euphemia was shaking her head in fear and the girls of the student council couldn't believe their friend was doing this.

The JLF soldiers just looked at him in bemusement as one of them scoffed.

"You're a prince? Right." The JLF soldier said unconvinced.

"True, sir, true! Now, take to leader, or face ALPHABET!" Joseph threatened as he pointed his finger in the air in a dramatic fashion like Zero would.

Now the people were looking at him as if he lost his mind.

_"What the hell is this guy on?" _ Was the recurring thought in their heads.

The JLF soldiers looked at each other and then nodded. Clearly this guy was no threat to them, and no reason to keep unneeded waste.

"Alright then, we'll take you to our leader. This way." One of the JLF soldiers said in a playful tone with an evil smile as he gestured towards the door.

"Coolio!" Joseph exclaimed as he marched his way to the door. Euphemia couldn't let this happen.

"Wait-" Euphemia didn't get to finish as her mouth was covered and was pulled down by her bodyguard.

"He's stalling them right now. The Viceroy will make her move soon." The bodyguard whispered to her.

Euphemia didn't like it but she knew her brother did this to protect her and those girls.

_"Joseph..."_ Euphemia thought as tears started to leak from her eyes.

He turned around and gave the crowd two thumbs up and a big smile. But it was particular directed at Milly, Shirley and Nina.

He left with Milly and Shirley looking at him dumbfounded while Nina just stared at him with a small blush on her face.

_"...Prince Joseph..." _Nina thought to herself.

...

If there was one thing that always made Joseph feel bored, it was people who took things too seriously. Seriously, the two guys in the elevator were so grumpy and didn't even talk.

Talk about Debbie downers.

So to pass the time, he decided to whistle a tune from an old tv show he heard back when he was kid.

That went on for a about ten seconds until one of the soldiers said. "Shut up."

Well geez, if he wasn't allowed to whistle, what the hell was he supposed to do.

"Mr. Grumpy Pants..." Joseph muttered.

"I said 'Shut up'!" The soldier yelled, whacking the butt of his gun to Joseph's head. As that happened, a thought occurred in Joseph's head.

_"You know, these guys definitely have no intention of keeping me alive, and my sister and friends aren't out of danger yet. Let's see, adrenaline pumping, lungs breathing, eyes focused. Yep, no more nice guy..."_

Half a second later, Joseph whipped his head back into the JLF soldier's head, slamming him into the wall.

...

"You have no intention of joining me?" Zero asked, not surprised at all.

"Remove that mask and reveal your real face to us. It's disrespectful not to." Kusakabe ordered.

"I understand, but before I do, I'd like to ask you something. What exactly do you hope to accomplish by this action?" Zero asked.

"Gain attention. I want this country and the world to know that the Japanese aren't dead yet." Kusakabe explained.

"How stale. You people are obsolete, there's no saving you." Zero said in a harsh tone.

"What? Why you arrogant…" A JLF Soldier said angrily.

"Explain what you mean by that, Zero." Kusakabe asked, his patience running thin.

However, before the discussion could continue, they started to hear some noise coming from outside the room.

It sounded like fighting, and gunfire.

_"What the hell?" _Was all that was going through Lelouch's mind.

...

_Outside of __Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

"As soon as the Lancelot is in position, we'll commence the plan, Viceroy." Darlton told her.

"Good." Was Cornelia said.

*CRASH!*

"The Hell?!" Cornelia exclaimed as she and her soldiers looked up to see someone screaming and falling from a broken window of the building.

That someone landed with a splat, PASSED the gates of the hotel and the Britannian soldiers looked to see who it was.

"Your highness! It's a member of the JLF!" The soldier exclaimed to Cornelia.

This made Cornelia, her knights and soldiers look in surprise. The spectators were making their own theories.

"Did Zero do that?" A civilian asked.

"Whoa, didn't know he was that powerful." Another civilian said.

"Impossible, no one could throw anyone that far!" Another civilian said.

"Get that Lancelot fired up now!" Cornelia ordered.

"Yes, your highness!" A soldier yelled.

_"What on Earth is going on in there!"_ Cornelia thought in subtle panic.

...

_Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

The groans and grunts got closer and closer to the room Lelouch and Kusakabe were in. Kusakabe unsheathed his sword, getting ready for battle.

"Zero, was this your doing?!" Kusakabe asked with anger.

Before he could answer, a JLF soldier came crashing through the wall of the room. He groaned in very deep pain. Everyone looked up to see someone enter through the hole in the wall.

Revealing to be Joseph with a gash on his head, bleeding over his right eye.

Lelouch was shocked to say the least.

Joseph looked around for a moment until he set his eyes on Lelouch.

"Hey! Captain Zero! Didn't see." Joseph exclaimed as he wiped blood away from his eye. "Eeck, messy." He said causally as he waved his fingers around trying to get the blood off his fingers.

Before Lelouch could say anything, he heard Kusakabe yell a warrior's scream and swing his sword at Joseph.

_"Joe!"_ Lelouch thought frantically as he was about to shoot Kusakabe.

However, Joseph was about to catch his sword with ease, stopping Kusakabe in his tracks.

A second later, Joseph pushed the other end of the sword into Kusakabe's head, Literally making him "hit himself" repeatedly.

"Why you!" A JLF soldier said as he another soldier took their guns and aimed them at Joseph.

Joseph saw this and swiftly moved Kusakabe in front of him, which shield him from the bullets, Kusakabe taking them in the chest instead.

The soldiers quickly stopped their fire when they realized what happened.

"Lord Kusakabe!" A soldier yelled.

Joseph then threw Kusakabe at one of the soldiers, knocking him down. He charged towards the other soldier before he had anytime to do anything, Joseph grabbed his hands while he was still holding the gun. Making the soldier shoot the other soldier on the ground, and then making shoot himself in the kneecaps, leaving him to drop to the ground in pain.

From what Lelouch calculated, all of this was done in a matter of between 10-20 seconds.

When it was all over, with the one soldier still groaning out in pain from his shot kneecaps, Joseph just blew a whistle of breath and then looked back at Lelouch with his dopey smile.

"Crazy rush, right?" Joseph asked, wiping more blood from his eye in a casual manner.

Lelouch didn't say anything, not that he didn't know what to say at the sudden events that just happened.

"Uh..." Was all he could mutter, and for once, he was glad Joseph interrupted him.

"Wait, Eup and friends still in danger, find more bad guys, laters." Joseph said as he saluted a goodbye, leaving in the direction he came.

And Lelouch was able to tell by that because when he peeked his head out of the hole Joseph made, he discovered there were a row of beaten soldiers, some dead, some groaning in pain, all down the hall Joseph came from.

_"I am now really glad Joseph is aware I'm Zero..."_ Lelouch thought in both awe and fear.

...

_Tunnel area of __Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

The Lancelot's shield are able to dispel the bullets.

"Yes. It can take this level of destructive force." Suzaku said, determined.

The JLF pilots manning the cannon see the Lancelot coming right at them on their radar.

"That thing broke through salvo number five. I can't believe it." The JLF pilot said frantically from the front.

"Just don't panic. Deploy the quad-link free-fire armgun, batteries too. We'll shield this final defense with our lives." The JLF pilot from the back ordered.

More turrets activate from their cannon.

"Ms. Cecile, it's time for me to use the VARIS." Suzaku said.

"No, you could get killed!" Cecile said, scared for Suzaku's life.

"There's no room for me to evade, I'll risk getting blasted to take the first shot." Suzaku told her.

The Lanclot brings out the VARIS, a blaster-looking type weapon and fires.

...

_Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

"What if we run into more terrorists?" An orange-haired girl asked with a bit of fear in her voice.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure you get out of this alive." Ohgi told them, his visor on to protect his identity.

He, along with the others were guiding the hostages to the back of the hotel to the lifeboats that Zero had set up. Kallen chose to stand behind the group of hostages, and for some reason had her hair tied up in a bun.

When he asked why, she yelled, "JUST CAUSE!" before marching away in a mood. Confusing Ohgi and the others to a certain degree.

Suddenly a pink-haired girl approached him.

"Please sir, they took my brother earlier. You have to go find him!" The pink-haired girl said softly but firmly.

"We'll do our best to look for him, but for now, let's get you-" Before Ohgi could finish, he was interrupted by Tamaki.

"Whoa! What the hell?!" Tamaki yelled.

Ohgi turned around and his eyes widen when he saw a bunch of soldiers on the ground, groaning in pain. Zero's group and the hostages were dumbfounded to say the least.

"Did you guys do this?" A blonde-haired girl asked, who was holding a very frightened green-haired girl with glasses.

"N-no, we haven't even been-" Ohgi didn't get to finish his statement as he saw a JLF soldier, who looked to be a teenager, be pushed into the wall in front of him.

He and Tamaki brought up their guns ready to fire, but then saw some man with a beard and black overcoat on approach the JLF soldier. He also appeared to have a gash over his right eye. Ohgi eyes widen when he realized something.

_"That's the homeless-looking guy who was grinning at the camera like a crazy person from earlier!"_ Ohgi thought to himself surprised.

The bearded man grabbed the soldier and did something Ohgi didn't expect.

He bent him down and pulled his pants down revealing his bare butt.

And then the bearded man did something Ohgi REALLY wasn't expecting.

He started spanking the soldier, as if he was an unruly child and the bearded man was the strict teacher. The soldier yelped out in pain with each smack on the butt.

To say that Ohgi and the groups were flabbergasted was an understatement.

"DON'T! PLAY! WITH! TERROR! WRISTS!" The bearded man yelled with each spank before sending the soldier away with one more spank and yelling to him "GO HOME TO MOTHER!"

The JLF soldier then ran away crying in terror.

The group was silent, as they were trying to figure out what just happened.

The bearded man turned around to look at them.

"Hmmm. All black, eye masks, Zero's group!?" The bearded man asked in anticipation.

"...W-who..." Was Ohgi could sputter out from the events he just witnessed.

"Joseph!" The pink-haired girl yelled as she moved pass Ohgi and hugged the bearded man, who hugged her back.

"Hey Eup!" The bearded man apparently named Joseph said happily. The girl whose name was Eup looked at his wound with worry and fear.

"What happened?!" Eup asked with concern.

"Gun butt." Joseph said in a casual manner as if it was no big deal, making Ohgi more confused than ever.

"Does anyone have a med-pack on them?!" Eup asked, scared for, who Ohgi was guessing, was her brother that she asked about earlier.

He reached out into his coat and took out a small box with a small red cross on it.

"Here. There should be some gauze and tape in there." Ohgi said, handing it to her.

"Thank you." Eup said with a small, but grateful smile. And then proceeded to put a patch over the gash on the Joseph's head.

Tamaki looked around at the JLF men sprawled about, he turned and look at Joseph.

"Hey Brit! You do this?" Tamaki asked suspiciously but also surprise.

Joseph looked at him with a dopey smile.

"Yah-huh." Was all he said, surprising his sister, the other hostages, and the rest of Zero's group, especially Kallen.

_"Who on earth is this_ _guy?!"_ Ohgi thought to himself.

"Joe, are you okay?" The blonde-hair girl asked, slowly approaching the siblings.

"A-ok, Milly!" Joseph said with glee.

"Milly? I had a feeling that was you. Thank you so much for looking after Joseph when you did. We're very happy to have him back in our lives." Eup told Milly sweetly.

"It was no problem at all." Milly smiled back.

"Eup. Other friends, Shirley and Nina." Joseph said pointing at the orange haired girl and green haired girl. "Shirley and Nina, little sis Eup." Joseph said pointing at his confused sister.

"Uh, nice to meet you." Shirley said with a nervous smile.

"H-hello." Nina said with a small blush on her face, looking at Joseph.

Before anymore could be said, Tamaki decided to cut in.

"Hey! How about we save this little chat after we get out of here?!"

...

_Outside of the Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

The Lancelot rises from the ocean after Suzaku took out the cannon. He uses the VARIS to then blow up the pillars supporting the hotel, causing it to start crumpling.

_"Good. Now the Viceroy will be able to commence her move and-"_ Before Suzaku could finish that thought, the building blows up.

"EUPHIE! JOSEPH!" Cornelia yelled from her end.

"NOOOO! My friends!" The Lancelot charges towards the building, but it didn't matter, the building already crumbled.

...

_News Van_

"What about the cameras in Van 3?" Diethard asked.

"I told you, Zero took the Van-" A technician said before Diethard cut him off.

"Well then, let's hope we pick up a signal from them. What are you doing, Zero? Wasn't that part of your plan… to show us something?" Diethard said to himself in thought as he looked at the fuzzy screen, waiting in anticipation.

...

_Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

Suzaku sat in silence, looking at the burnt rubble and smoke around him. First the invasion, then his father, now this.

"I couldn't rescue them...they're dead...I failed. Not again!" Suzaku exclaimed in anger as he slammed his hand down on the control panel. Tears starting to sprout from his eyes.

But then he noticed something coming out from the smoke. It looked like some sort of ship.

...

_Area 11_

All over Area 11, screens popped up with the image of Zero, stopping people in their tracks to see what was happening.

"My dear Britannians, have no fear. All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed." Zero proclaimed, as the screen revealed the hostages indeed alive and well on lifeboats.

...

_Outside of Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

"T-they're fine..." Suzaku stuttered in relief, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Cornelia on her end, was fuming.

"Of all the brazen audacity… If we attack you those people will quickly become your hostages, won't they?" Cornelia scowled.

But then she felt relief when she saw Euphemia and Joseph on a lifeboat.

_"Euphemia, Joseph..._

Suddenly, spot lights came on, revealing a trio of men and women wearing black and visors as they stood by Zero.

"People! Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We, are the Black Knights." Zero proclaimed.

Cecile and Lloyd watch the broadcast from their convoy.

"Black Knights?" Cecile asked.

"Ironic, isn't it? The terrorists referring to themselves as knights." Lloyd commented in amusement.

"We of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield. Regardless of whether they be Elevens, or Britannians. The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and they mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished." Zero continued.

From inside Diethard's news van, he was talking with his producer.

"You heard me right, I said let it run. Liable? I'll be the one responsible for this." Diethard yelled.

"Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens, we could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions. I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again. No matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be. Those of you with power, fear us. Those of you without it, rally behind us. We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world." Zero concluded his speech, with everyone starring at him in awe.

...

_Lifeboats_

Joseph could not believe what was happening, what he was witnessing!

His brother just created a superhero team! And they even had a badass name, **The Black Knights**! The levels of awesomeness have just skyrocketed through the roof in Joseph's mind.

_"You're doing a real-life comic book movie here Lelouch!_ _However, like any superhero, he needs support. And unlike most __superheroes, he probably won't get it out of the blue. Therefore, I must show my seal of approval! I know what I must do!"_ Joseph thought as an idea struck inside his head.

Suddenly, he stood up in fast motion and started clapping his hands.

"YEAH! ENCORE, ENCORE! GO CAPTAIN ZERO! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Joseph cheered from the lifeboat, capturing **everybody's **attention who was close enough to hear.

To say that this was unexpected was an understatement. Zero and the Black Knights looked at him but tried to keep an emotionless composure as not to ruin their image. The rescued hostages were trying to figure out what to make of these events. One of them took out their phone that they hid from the JLF soldiers and started to record Joseph on their live stream for their social media.

"Joe, what are you doing?" Euphemia asked as she stood up in complete confusion by her brother's actions. Joseph just looked at her like it should have been an obvious answer.

"Uhhhh, cheering, duuuuhhh!" Joseph said with a faux moron tone, to which he then went back to cheering.

"YEAH! SHOW THEM CAPTAIN ZERO! SHOW WHO'S WHO AND WHAT'S WHAT OF HORSE!" Joseph continued on, making everyone even more confused than before.

"Ok, seriously. What is up with this guy!" Tamaki asked in a whisper with gritted teeth.

Kallen on her part, while her identity was being hidden, could not help but feel red with embarrassment.

Zero on the other hand, was fuming inside his helmet.

_"For the Love of God, Joseph, please shut up!"_ Lelouch thought.

...

_Outside of Lake Kawaguchi Hotel_

Cornelia brought down the binoculars from her eyes as she thought she might break a couple of blood vessels if she kept watching.

"What. Is. He. DOING!" Cornelia screamed in anger.

"I believe he's cheering for Zero, your high-" A subordinate tried to answer her question, but was then hit with the binoculars she was using.

...

_Lifeboats_

"HORSE KNOCKS DOWN! GET UP AND EAT HORSE! HEAR ME ZERO!? EAT THE HORSE! EAT THAT HORSE! EAT THAT HORSE!" Joseph started to chant, everyone was starting to wonder if that smoke had some hallucinogenics in them, because there was no way what they were seeing right now was real.

Nina on her part, was staring at Joseph in awe. Here he was, willing to sacrifice his life for her and her friends, willing to be himself even if it might give him backlash later. Nina couldn't help but think how brave he was, and while she was scared of Elevens and this Captain Zero fellow, she would not let Joseph go through this alone.

So then she herself stood up and started chanting "EAT THAT HORSE!" Surprising Milly and Shirley.

"Nina?" Shirley asked, not sure what was going on anymore.

Nina just gave her a look that said, _"Forgive me."_ and went back to chanting.

Joseph saw she was doing this and gave her a thumbs up, not realizing it made her heart flutter.

...

The spectators who were watching from a distance were witnessing this man's cheering, but were having a hard time understanding what he was saying.

That is until someone looked at their phones and saw the live video that was happening on the person's social media. Other people noticed this and looked at their phones to watch the video, fascinated by this man's obsession with horses and eating them.

"What is this guy even talking about?" One person asked.

"I don't know, but he's hilarious!"

"Look at the description, its saying that the guy is a prince!"

"Seriously?! That, I find hard to believe."

"I don't know whether or not he's a prince. But I think I can definitely buy what he's selling. EAT THAT HORSE! EAT THAT HORSE!..." One person started to chant.

After a few moments, another person joined in the chanting.

And then another.

And then another.

Until finally, while not everyone, a good amount of people were chanting "EAT THAT HORSE!"

The ones not chanting, that including Cornelia and her group, along with the Black Knights were staring at these sudden turn of events in bewilderment.

Lelouch was just thinking, _"Oh dear God..."_

...

_The_ _Lancelot_

Suzaku stared at the scene with Joseph's chanting with wide eyes and a cocked eyebrow.

"Well this is surprising to say the least." Suzaku said, just happy that everyone was all right.

From the convoy Cecile and Lloyd were in, Lloyd was laughing his ass off and Cecile was just looking at the screen in wonderment.

"Lloyd...what just happened?" Cecile asked quietly.

"A start of a cultural phenomenon I'm sure." Lloyd happily said as he wiped as tear from his eye.

...

_Viceroy's Transport_

"CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" Cornelia shouted at this WTF moment, she was starting wonder if she was even **sa****ne** anymore.

...

_Lifeboats_

Some people on the lifeboats, including the person recording, were chanting as well. And Joseph chanted with them as he swung his arms around like he was the composer of an orchestra or the frontman of a rock band, he was truly in the moment.

Euphemia looked at the scene before with first surprise, then confusion, then bewilderment, and then finally acceptance as she chuckled and shook her head. Because she knew what was happening right now was the magic of one Joseph Du Britannia.

Joseph on his part looked back at the ship Zero was on and gave a thumbs up to the Black Knights, specifically Zero without people realizing it.

Lelouch's eye just twitched as he fearfully thought to himself.

_"I'm going to rue this day for the rest of my life, aren't I?" _

_To be Continued..._

**ANNNNNNNNND DONE! Sorry that chapter took so long, the holidays and other projects took priority. Well, it seems Joseph has just started a new cultural trend without even realizing it...or maybe he does. Anyway, the "EAT THAT HORSE!" chant was inspired by a DBZ Abridged episode when Goku was talking to Vegeta about falling off a horse and then eating it, I just thought it was so funny and I wanted to make it something relevant to this. As for how people suddenly latched on to it, that was more inspired by real life of how people make trends of random things on social media and how memes grow a life of their own, something that will be explored more in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, comment and tell me what you think.**


	12. Don't Waste!

"…_Clearing the last of the debris from around the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. It's been two weeks since Zero unveiled his Black Knights. But there's still little insight into the man behind the mask. They weren't able to track his escape route. They let the hostages go and somehow made it to the other shore."_

(Archive footage of Zero and the Black Knights is being shown during the hotel crisis)

_"He's not the only one gaining attention though. __In other news, viral trend **#EatThatHorse** has hit number one on every social media outlet due to the strange term and the individual himself who delivered it during the aftermath of the hotel hijacking. _

(Archive footage of Joseph and other people chanting "EAT THAT HORSE!" from a smartphone perspective.)

_"The individual is claimed to be Prince Joseph Du Britannia, who is 50th in line for the Throne and it seems to have only increased the favoritism of the term. People have already made merchandise, memes, and reenactments on the streets of the said quote._

(Archive footage is shown of having t-shirts with the words "EAT THAT HORSE!" on them being sold at stores and on the streets. A meme of a boxer getting knocked down and the crowding cheering for him to get back up, except the cheering is replaced with the audio from the video of people chanting "EAT THAT HORSE!". And people starring at cameras chanting "EAT THAT HORSE!" while wearing horse masks.)

...

_Lelouch's Bedroom_

Lelouch turns off the TV with a very angry groan while C.C. laugh hysterically from the behind him as she clutches her cheese-kun.

"This was NOT how it was suppose to go!" Lelouch complained. _"Damn it, Joe! Couldn't you cut the superhero crap for one second!"_ He thought to himself.

"I swear, I have seen many ridiculous things in my life, but this definitely takes the cake." C.C. said as she was trying to catch her breath from all the laughing, making Lelouch glare at her.

"Oh relax, boy. You're still the top news and your big appearance influenced other resistance fighters." C.C. brushed offhandedly.

"True, but still, that 'performance' is making..."

...

_Viceroy Palace_

"...a mockery of Britannia! Why on Earth didn't you stop him?!" Cornelia complained as she and Euphemia watched the news.

"I honestly thought he brought a lightheartedness that was needed after such a heavy day. I didn't think it would start this." Euphemia giggled out.

"He's a prince Euphie, and he needs to start acting like one." Cornelia lectured.

_"While the actions are indeed strange, they are not surprising either. For his Highness is known for being __"The Dimwitted Prince" due to his mental-"_

Cornelia turns off the TV with a huff.

"Even all after all these years later, they still refer him by that insulting name." Euphemia muttered sadly.

Cornelia herself was pissed and wanted to take a knightmare to the news station and run over everyone who was employed there, but that would just be adding fuel to the fire.

And while she didn't like to admit it, her brother does legitimize the name.

...

(Flashback)

_"Tell me Joseph, did you speak to him?" Cornelia asked __Joseph, who looked at her blankly._

_"Who?" Joseph asked casually._

_"Zero." Cornelia told him. Now he was looking at her confused._

_"When?" He asked._

_"Yesterday." Cornelia asked, keeping her cool._

_"Where?" _

_"At the Lake Kawaguchi Hotel." She answered, starting to get annoyed._

_"Why?"_

_"Joe!" _

_And of course, like always, he just laughed._

(Flashback End)

...

_"Damn it Joseph, why do you have to act like such a buffoon?"_ Cornelia thought angrily.

"Where is he anyway?" Cornelia asked, but then her eyes widen as she realized something and quickly turned around...

To find no one there.

She turned back to her sister who was stifling a laughter.

"Never mention that to anyone." Cornelia warned her.

...

_Pendragon_

Some of the children of Emperor Charles watched the screen as Joseph danced around as people chanted "EAT THAT HORSE!".

"Joseph? I thought that retard died a long time ago." Carine, the hot-headed princess, commented.

"Carine, I wish you wouldn't use such harsh language on him, he is still our brother. I'm for one am happy he is still alive and about with that same energy he had all those years ago." Odysseus, the kind if not mediocre prince, commented.

"Indeed, to see him thriving as such is always pleasant. Though his appearance does surprise me." Schneizel commented.

"Obviously, personal hygiene wasn't something he kept up on. Looks like a damn bum." Cassius joked.

"Careful Cassius, you don't want to receive another punch to the jewels do you?" Guinevere commented with a sweet smile.

This made Cassius unconsciously reach for his lower region, as he thought back to that "incident" that occurred all those years ago. Carine laughed hysterically at this.

"You actually been somewhat quiet about this Guinevere, what's your opinion about all this." Schneizel asked her.

Guinevere just stared at the screen for a moment before turning away to leave.

"I honestly don't care either way." Guinevere commented blankly.

"Geez, what's up her ass?" Carine asked as she departed.

Guinevere on her end, had other things on her mind.

...

(Flashback)

_Pendragon_

"_This is ridiculous Lady Rebecca, I know nothing about babysitting!" A 14-year old Guinevere complained to Lady Rebecca, who was currently tickling a 3-year old Joseph._

_"Well then, this would be a perfect time to learn, wouldn't it?" Rebecca asked her with delight as she gathered a giggling Joseph into a hug._

_"Why can't you ask Cornelia? Or literally anybody else?" Guinevere asked bitterly._

_"Cornelia is undergoing training, Lady Marianne has business with the Emperor and Odysseus and Schneizel are both out of the country for foreign affairs. Besides, my little Joe should get to know all of his siblings when given the chance." Rebecca explained as she planted a kiss on Joseph's cheek._

_Guinevere groaned in annoyance as Lady Rebecca put Joseph in her arms._

_"Now be good for Gwen, my precious little munchkin. I'll be back soon." Rebecca said sweetly to her son. Joseph just gave a simple smile and nod._

_Guinevere's face turned a tinge bit red, both in embarrassment in the nickname Lady Rebecca gave her and in jealously that her own mother never gave her this much affection._

"_You know I'll catch Hell for this if anyone finds out." Guinevere muttered._

_"I know, which is why it'll be our little secret. Plus, I'm sure you don't want anyone to know about that incident with you and the dress?" Rebecca asked with a tender, if somewhat demented smile on her face._

_"Uh, y-yes ma'am." Guinevere stuttered fearfully._

_"Good. Have fun you two!" Rebecca said as she waved goodbye._

_Guinevere just sighed in frustration as she looked at her little half-brother._

_"So you're the little dimwit everyone's talked about. (Holds him up to her face) Yeah, you do look kind of dumb." Guinevere said as she analyzed him._

_Joseph responded by grabbing her nose with his tiny hand, laughing a tiny baby laugh. Guinevere couldn't help but smile a bit._

_"You are kind of cute, I guess. Very well, I suppose I can show you my jewelry collection. You better not eat any of them!" Guinevere warned as she carried him to her room._

(Flashback End)

...

_Pendragon_

Guinevere shakes her head at the memory.

"You buffoon..." Guinevere muttered quietly.

...

_Stadfelt Residence_

Kallen heard a crash that startled her out of bed. She covered herself and went to see what happened.

"Kallen. I mean, miss. Forgive me. I didn't wish to wake you." A **maid** said as she was trying to clean up a broken chandelier

"Again?" Kallen muttered.

"I'm sorry. It was the step ladder this time, it broke." The **maid** explained as she gestured to the broken stepladder, and if one were to get a closer look, they would see it was sawed off.

"Well, just get it cleaned up. And be quick about it. I have to leave for school." Kallen ordered.

"Mistress, you've been attending school quite a bit lately. Making any friends there?" The **maid** asked.

"I don't see how that's any of your business!" Kallen said angrily as she slammed her door.

"Just go, will you..." Kallen said in quiet anger and sadness.

On her desk, is a picture of her as a young child, with her brother Naoto and a woman in the middle, with a sticker over her face.

...

_Tokyo Settlement_

Joseph joyfully jump from building to building as he made his way to Ashford Academy for the first time in two weeks.

Ever since the hotel hijacking, Cornelia has been on his _bee-hind_ about his safety and Zero, never once giving him the time of day to be by himself. He honestly could have left anytime he wanted, but he thought it was better that she cool down first, at least that way she wouldn't start sending the army all over the settlement, eventually leading to Ashford Academy.

So thankfully, it was today she finally let up on the guards, which he took as a sign to get out of there and enjoy himself again.

He saw the camera crews and news reporters outside the gate of the school, so he made sure to land in a different area. When he finally made it, he heard some students talking.

"I heard he sent a terrorist home literally crying to his mother." A male student said.

"I heard he threw one of them all the way to the moon!" A female student said.

"All this time there was a-(gasps) PRINCE JOSEPH!" Another female student noticed him and rushed towards him, along with many other students, surprising Joseph.

_"Oh yeah, this is how people act when they know I'm a prince. Weird." _Joseph thought to himself.

"Your highness, my name is Sophie, and I just wanted to thank you for saving my friend's life that night!" Sophie said excited.

"No prob, Bob." Joseph answered casually.

"Yeah, we heard you were such a badass! And listen, that comment I made that first time we met, it was just joke, no hard feelings right?" The guy with the bandana asked nervously.

"We'll see." Joseph said with the demented smile he picked up from his mother, making the bandana guy even more nervous.

"Hey, eat that horse, eat that horse..." A guy started to chant, he was soon joined by other students, Joseph got excited and joined them as well.

...

_Student Council Room_

"Man, this double life sure is a killer." Kallen said tiredly as she yawned entering the student council meeting. But then she heard Milly's voice.

"Come on, Suzaku, hold him down!" Milly ordered.

"Damn it, Suzaku, cut it out!" Lelouch yelled.

She entered the room, what she saw was something she did not expect. The student council members were dressed in cat costumes, well Nina just had a Cat hat on, and Lelouch was tied to a chair while Suzaku was trying to apply makeup on him.

"Stop it! I'm not kidding!" Lelouch yelled more.

"Sorry, Lelouch. But it's the president's orders." Suzaku said apologetically.

"Yeah, like you're not enjoying this at all!" Lelouch said as he tried to get out of his restraints.

"Will you hold still!" Shirley ordered, trying to paint whiskers on him. Milly notices Kallen.

"Good-meowing." Milly greeted as she wave her "paw" at Kallen.

"Good morning, I guess." Kallen said confused. "What is all this?"

"What do you mean? Didn't we tell you? It's our welcome party for Arthur." Rivalz explained as he pointed to Arthur, sleeping on this cat scratch post.

"Sounds like fun…?" Kallen said, still not sure if this was a joke or not.

"Well, classes are postponed, we might as well have some fun, right?" Milly cheerfully said.

"I set some stuff aside for you, over here. To make up for all my getting so upset before. Take your pick." Shirley said as she pointed to all the assorted costumes.

"What? For me?" Kallen asked, not sure she really wanted to.

"She doesn't need a costume. You're already wearing a mask, right?" Lelouch joked.

"You really are a riot, you know that? You ought to be on television." Kallen sarcastically said as she glared at him

"What do you think, Miss TV Star?" Rivalz said in a joking manner.

"Oh, I thought that she meant Lelouch." Suzaku commented.

"Would you quit joking about that? The whole thing's a huge pain in the butt. We've been hounded with questions day and night. Even in the bath!" Shirley complained, as she honestly hated all the attention.

"We haven't been able to leave school grounds in a week." Milly complained as well.

"Well at least most of the students have stopped chanting that mantra. I swear, if I have to hear..." Lelouch didn't get finish his complaint as he started to hear said mantra getting louder, the same mantra that has been giving him a headache for the past two weeks.

The student council then hear a thump and see Joseph standing by the window, chanting "EAT THAT HORSE!" with the students. He opens the window and the chanting gets louder, he looks back at the crowd that is surrounding the building at ground level that is chanting with him.

"Joseph?!" Milly asked, surprised but happy to see Joseph here at the school.

Kallen is subtlety glaring at him, for she is actually bit annoyed if not pissed off at Joseph. It was because of him, the Black Knights' debut was not as powerful as it could have been. They were the top headline and people have been noticing them, but every time that moment comes up, it's followed by the mention of Joseph and "EAT THAT HORSE!" He was technically supporting them but it didn't really seem to translate that way for the public.

Nina on the other hand, was blushing madly.

Joseph turns around, closing the window and smiles widely.

"Hey! Milly my billy!" Joseph said happily, engulfing Milly into a big hug, spinning her around a bit, making her laugh.

"Shirley, Dirley!" Joseph exclaimed as he pulled her into a hug.

"It's good to see you." Shirley said sweetly, happy to have a nickname from him.

"Riv-alz, my miv-alz!" Joseph said as he patted Rivalz on the back.

"Hey, it's good to have you back!" Rivalz said excited, not caring that Joseph kept getting his name wrong.

"Kallen, The Wallen" Joseph exclaimed, bringing her into a tight hug as he swung back and forth.

"H-hi" Kallen said under strained breath.

"Made superhero team, so proud!" Joseph said under whispered breath in her ear.

This confused Kallen to no end, not sure what he meant by that.

"Is he just making up words to rhyme with our names?" Suzaku whispered to Lelouch.

"Pretty much." Lelouch muttered as his foul mood just got fouler.

"Suzako, my taco!" Joseph exclaimed as he put Suzaku into a headlock and gave him another noogie.

"Come on Joe, do you have do this everytime you see me?" Suzaku asked a bit in strained pain .

"Yep!" Joseph said with glee, then turns to Nina and waves. "Nina, Tina!"

"H-hello, your highness." Nina said quietly with red blush on her face.

Joseph didn't notice and jumped onto Lelouch's lap, making Lelouch groan out in pain and glare at him.

"Lelouch, BaBeouch!" Joseph said with his dopey smile. This made the other snickers, especially Kallen, considering it revenge for his "mask" joke earlier.

"Nice to see you again." Lelouch said through gritted teeth, both in pain from Joseph's weight and anger from Joseph's comments.

"I'm surprised Princess Cornelia finally let you out after what happened at the hotel." Milly commented.

"Eh, Corn hothead, but softie." Joseph casually answered.

"How's your head by the way?" Shirley asked concerned.

"Ehh, hard noggin." Joseph brushed off as he hit himself on the head, particularly close to the stitched area. "Cat party?" He asked seeing all the costumes.

"It's our welcoming party for Arthur. Go ahead and try something on." Shirley told him invitingly.

"Coolio!" Joseph exclaimed as he got off Lelouch and put on some cat ears.

"You really caused the start of something though. I think your 'Eat that Horse.' mantra is more popular than Milly's crossdressing ball." Shirley said as she painted whiskers on his face.

"Indeed. Not everyone returns the love though. The equestrian club has needed security for their stables because they're afraid someone's going to take your comments literally." Milly mentioned in an annoyed tone.

"Had horse. Ehhh." Joseph casually said as he waved his hand in a "it was ok" fashion.

This confused the Student Council to no end as they all gave him a WTF face. Nina decided to change the subject.

"Um, about that night. I just wanted to say...thank you...for saving our lives, I don't know what would have happen if those terrorists took us the way they did." Nina said gratefully if not nervously.

"The feeling's mutual Joseph, that was very brave of you to go with those terrorists just for us." Shirley added sweetly. Joseph gave them a kind smile.

"Hey, no problemo. Friends after all." Joseph brushed off as he patted Nina's head.

Making her face go really red, she even started to tremble a bit.

"I-I-I uh...Ihavetogotothebathroom!" Nina said quickly as she rushed out of the room in frenzy, surprising the council and confusing Joseph, who just shrugged.

"I am curious why exactly you were chanting **_for _**Zero though." Suzaku decided to chime in.

"Show support. Man is...(does a dramatic pose as he sticks one arm arched up in the air while bending one back) SUPERHERO!" Joseph exclaimed with enthusiasm. Surprising the council, especially Kallen and Suzaku.

_"Wait, that's why he kept bringing up superheroes, he was serious about that?!"_ Kallen thought to herself dumbfounded.

_"Oh God, here we go again..."_ Lelouch to himself as he rolled his eyes.

"You really believe that?" Suzaku asked quietly.

"Abso-toda-lutely! Cool mask, check!" Joseph exclaimed as he pointed to his face.

"Long cape, check!" He then grabbed the end of his coat to emphasize a cape.

"Dramatics, check!" He does another dramatic pose.

"Superpower, check-er-roo!" He blinked his eyes repeatedly, making Lelouch tense.

"Superpower? What would that be?" Rivalz asked, now Lelouch was starting to sweat.

"Influence, duh!" Joseph said as if it was obvious. Lelouch sighed in relief.

"That is true, his speech that night was pretty inspirational." Shirley said, making Lelouch smile a bit.

"ONE FLAW!" Joseph exclaimed, jumpscaring the council.

"W-what's that?" Milly asked nervously.

"Name. Terrible." Joseph said with disappointment.

This confused the council and made Lelouch glare at him. _"Don't. You. DARE!" _Lelouch thought with venom.

"His name?" Shirley asked in a confused manner.

"Yep, "Zero", booooring. No finesse, no swauve. No sense, person isn't zero, Person! Is! One!" Joseph reasoned as he emphasized the last part.

"I don't think it's suppose to be literal..." Kallen quietly said, wanting to defend Zero but not wanting to blow her cover either.

"Wait, is that why you called him Captain Zero at the hotel?" Rivalz asked.

"Yep. Captain, leader. Zero, leader. Ergo, Captain Zero." Joseph equated.

"And did you come up with that on the fly?" Milly asked, as she decided to play along with Joseph's reasonings.

"Yep, other ones too." Joseph said with glee.

"Really, like what?" Shirley asked.

_"Shirley, no!" _ Lelouch thought as he tried to get out of his restraints.

"Well, **The Black-Caped Crusader**!" Joseph said with a dramatic pose, making the council chuckle.

"**The Purple Power Ranger**! **THE BLACK EGG**!" Joseph exclaimed.

That last one confused everybody.

"Why The Black Egg?" Kallen asked.

His answer would make her regret ever asking.

"...Head shaped like egg." Joseph casually answered.

This made everybody, minus Lelouch and Kallen, who were giving Joseph a deadpan look, gut-bust with laughter.

"That is definitely the best!" Rivalz said after he calmed down.

"As President, I declare from now on, we hereby call Zero, **The Black Egg**!" Milly declared with enthusiasm.

Kallen stared at her mouth agape, not believing this conversation came to this conclusion.

Lelouch's eye on the other hand started twitching, badly.

"Rivalz, I need to go to the bathroom, please untie me." Lelouch said with a low voice.

"Oh, sure Lelouch. Is everything okay?" Rivalz asked as he untied Lelouch, noticing his mood soured drastically.

"I'm fine, just need to go real quick, I'll be right back." Lelouch said as he walked out of the room.

In the bathroom, he started to repeatedly hit his head against the wall in frustration.

"HE. IS. RUINING. EVERY. THING!" Lelouch yelled with each bang to the wall.

...

Nina was frivolously washing her hands after the dirty deed she just did. Still blushing madly.

She thought back to that night, how he stepped in, saving her from impending doom, giving her a huge smile and a thumbs up just to let her know everything was okay.

_"He's so cool..."_

...

Tohdoh sits before his Four Holy Swordsman as they argue with each other.

"Why would the masses flock around those who saved Euphemia?" Urabe asked.

"Even Kyoto has said that they would send the Black Knights the Guren MK II." Senba commented

"To those would-be Robin Hoods?" Asahina asked surprised.

"They're not part of the resistance. Killing Kusakabe was proof of that." Chiba argued.

" The colonel killed himself, didn't he?" Urabe asked, surprised at Chiba's accusation.

"Well, I hear they didn't try to stop him." Senba argued.

"Then there's also the case of that 'prince'. Asahina added on.

"You mean that dimwit, as the media has been calling him? Please, he's not even worth the conversation." Chiba brushed off

"Still, an actual prince of Britannia was clearly in support of Zero. Though his comments are strange nonetheless." Urabe commented.

"Are you serious, it was just the wild ramblings of a moron!" Chiba argued.

As they continued to argue, Tohdoh thought about said prince.

His strange yet optimistic attitude about everything, how he would do 200 pushups in two minutes without any argument and with a huge smile on his face. Always asking questions about their philosophy of life in his own way, truly a different type of individual.

And then there was his mother.

Tohdoh silently shuttered at that.

...

_The Next Day_

_Stadfelt Residence_

"Mistress Kallen, mistress Kallen." The **maid** called out to Kallen.

Kallen came down the stairs and was surprised to see who it was.

"Madam president?" Kallen said in a surprised tone.

"I just dropped by to give you something." Milly told her in a formal manner.

"Huh?" Kallen asked confused.

"Where would you like me to show her to? The parlor perhaps. or maybe-" The **maid **was cut off by Kallen.

"We'll be in my room." Kallen said sternly

"As you wish." The **maid** said.

"Oh, I heard you had a friend down here, I was sure it would be a boy. Out all night and missing school..."

Kallen turned around and saw the hag that was married to her father, stiff as plank coming down the stairs in all her nobility draped on her clothes.

"...Not to mention all your visits to the ghetto. You're lucky your father's back in the homeland. No fighting one's blood, is there?" The hag asked in a sneer tone. The **maid **sidestepped away from the conversation.

"You're the one who enjoys dad not being around here, aren't you." Kallen accused her

"Uh…" The hag couldn't believe the audacity of her, and was about to reply when the **maid **sidestepped into the vase by her.

Which would have broke had it fell to the ground.

Instead it fell into a pair of hands, a dimwit's hands.

Everybody's eyes widen in surprise when they saw it was none other than Joseph, with his signature dopey smile on his face.

"Whoopsie, doopsie. Close call." Joseph said casually.

"J-Joseph?" Kallen stuttered in surprise.

"Prince Joseph!", "Your highness!" Both the hag and the **maid** shouted in surprise as they both made sure to properly curtsy.

"Milly?!" Kallen asked her in a demanding tone.

"He wanted to come with me to meet your family." Milly said with a nervous smile as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Big house." Joseph commented, looking around.

"Thank you, your highness. It was made by the finest architects." The hag said in a sucking up tone. Ironic, considering she was insulting the man's appearance and intelligence the other day.

"Kallen, show some proper decorum! Forgive me your highness, her kind has always been known for their dimness." The hag explained in offhanded tone, making Kallen angry.

"Hmmm...what is dim if not lit?" Joseph asked, developing a look of scrutiny.

The group looks at him in a confused manner.

"I'm sorry?" The hag asked him, not sure what he was asking.

"If not dim, too bright? Or dark?" Joseph asked, now walking towards the hag in a judging manner.

"If lights dim, more energy saved." Joseph stated as he swung the vase around without care, spilling the water and flowers out, and getting some water on himself.

"Uh..." Was all the hag could say as he walked up the steps, getting closer to her, it was starting to scare her.

"More energy saved, dimness continues, dimness helps light, but not too bright! Brighting the Dim wastes the dimming into brighting and energy wasting! No dimmings dongs that dingus those ding dong dims!" Joseph stated loudly as he got into the hag's face, noses touching. She was too scared to utter a word.

Kallen and Milly on the other hand were just trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about.

He starred at her like a hawk for a few seconds until he pulled himself back and said in a casual manner.

"Vase ugly. Buy new one."

"...Pardon?" Was all the hag could ask.

He then shoved the vase into her arms.

"BUY NEW ONE! NOW! NOW! NOW!" He shouted at her, pointing to the door and then proceeding to screech like a maniac, waving his arms in the air and walking like a crab as he chased her out the door. Leaving her running away, screaming in a panic.

The rest of the spectators were wondering what the hell just happened. Except Milly, who was holding back a laughter.

Joseph turns to speak to the **maid**.

"Man, A-Class...(looks around for a moment and then puts a hand next to his cheek to cover his mouth and says in a whispered voice)...bbbbbbbiiiittttcch." He said to her in a sly tone.

This surprised the **maid. **One, because he was speaking to her, an eleven, in such a casual manner. And two, a prince used such foul language on a noble.

Suddenly, he strutted up her and stuck out his hand for her to shake.

"Joseph Du Britannia, ma'am." Joseph greeted to her in a friendly manner.

It took a moment for the maid to recompose herself at the man's friendliness but quickly recovered as she nervously smiled and put her hand into his and curtsied as best as she could, if not clumsily.

"Naomi Kozuki, your majesty." She said in a polite tone.

Suddenly, he pulled her into a hug. Surprising Kallen and Milly.

"Kallen's mom! No curtsy needed." Joseph said happily as he tightly hugged her.

This surprised Milly and Kallen even more, Naomi's mother would have been surprised too if she wasn't trying to breathe.

"Ho-how did you...?" Kallen stuttered out, surprised he figured it out in just a few seconds.

"Same eyes, same face, older looking version. Obvious." Joseph explained casually as he put down a surprised Naomi and pointed at her features.

Kallen eye twitched a bit. _"What is this guy!? The Dumb and Dumber version of Sherlock Holmes!?"_ She thought to herself in astonishment and anger.

"I see, I have to say, it's amazing my daughter is friends with an actual prince." Naomi said in amazement.

"Acquaintances is more like it." Kallen said to her in harsh tone. This caught Joseph's curiosity, he then saw the mess of water he made with the vase.

"Sorry..." Joseph said sheepishly to Naomi.

"Oh, it's quite alright. I'll clean up it up." Naomi reassured.

"Shall assist." Joseph happily offered, surprising Naomi.

"Oh, your highness, there's no need-" Naomi tried to decline but was met by an errant waving finger.

"Ah, dat, dat, dat. No highness. Mother of Kallen, friend of me. Besides, love cleaning." Joseph said excitedly.

He turned to the Milly and Kallen.

"Girls do...girl things." He waves them off nonchalantly, then proceeds to take the surprised Naomi's hand. "Adults working." He says in a professional manner, before pulling her into a different room.

He left behind a bewildered Milly and Kallen, who both were not expecting the day to go like this, especially Kallen, who was not expecting _**this guy **_to suddenly get chummy with _**her**_ **_mom_**. To which he then shouted, "Where we going?!"

...

Kallen took Milly to her room where they had tea.

"So what was it you wanted to give me?" Kallen asked.

"Grandfather asked me to pass this on." Milly said as she pushed a document across the table.

"You mean the principal?" Kallen asked.

"Your transcript since middle school. I thought I'd better give them to you off of school grounds." Milly said knowingly.

"So my secret's out then, isn't it? That I'm actually an Eleven and Britannian half-breed. Though I guess you figured that out already when Joseph decided to burst out who my mother was like it was no big deal." Kallen muttered with a bit of anger.

"To be fair, things like that _aren't _a big deal for him." Milly said in a chuckling tone.

"Yeah, I guess." Kallen apprehensively agreed.

"And your father, is he the head of the Statfeld family?" Milly asked.

"My mother is such a fool. In the end, she wound up a servant. She doesn't have any real skills. And no matter who's ridiculing her, all she can do is laugh like it's nothing." Kallen said angrily.

"Like Joseph does?" Milly asked in a slight accusing tone, he may be odd but he's still her friend after all. This caught Kallen by surprise.

"Uh, I-I didn't mean...he's different, he honestly doesn't care. _She_ didn't have to choose to stay in this house, you know? She's just clinging some old lover who jilted her." Kallen argued.

"You really hate your mother, don't you." Milly asked sadly, thinking about her own mother, how she was trying to get her into an arraigned marriage to get their nobility back.

"...I just find her depressing." Kallen asked after some thought.

"Well, this is getting a little heavy. Imagine, the wife and the daughter and the other woman, all living together." Milly tried to wave off.

"Ah, it could be worse. Three square meals and a roof, right? I mean, it's not unbearable. Most of the time, anyway." Kallen reasoned.

"That's good. Still, somethings in life we can bear on our own, but when you add them all up, they eventually break you." Milly said with a sense of nostalgia.

Kallen looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't lie, I'm always hungry for secrets, but I'd never talk about this." Milly reassured her, taking a sip of tea.

Suddenly they heard the faint sound of music coming from outside the room. A woman harmonizing.

_Ooh..._

"Is that music?" Milly asked surprised.

"You have got to be kidding me." Kallen muttered, getting up to see what the likely source was.

_oh yeah yeah_

_Ooh yeah yeah_

They go downstairs and decide to do some spying and see Joseph and Naomi in the kitchen. Naomi is sitting at the table in wonderment as she observes Joseph dramatically holding a mop like it was microphone.

_I need a tough lover, yeah yeah yeah_

_I need a, a tough lover, woo_

(Joseph lip-syncs the lyrics like he's a female singer a nightclub.)

_I need a, a tough lover, yeah yeah yeah_

(He moves his body with the beat, sways his hips around like a pole dancer. Naomi looks at him in astonishment, Milly stifles a giggle, and Kallen just rolls her eyes.)

_A tough lover, ooh yeah_

(He bends backwards with the mop as the "yeah" is harmonized)

_When he kisses me, I get that thrill_

(He moves the mop around with each beat)

_When he does that wiggle I won't keep still_

(He starts moving his feet around, dancing and mopping at the same time)

_I wanna a tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_A tough lover (woo)_

_I need a tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_Tough lover (hum, hum)_

(He moves with the beat as he mops the kitchen, making sure to get every corner.)

_The seven sisters got nothing on him_

_I'm talking about a lover who's fast as the wind_

_Everyone will talk about how he got me fixed_

(Joseph then swiftly, grabs a chemical sprayer and paper towels and starts wiping down counters and Naomi unconsciously starts bopping her head to the beat)

_It ain't voodoo, it's just that twist_

_He will be the greatest lover that ever come to pass_

_Don Juan ain't got the half the chance_

(He puts down the cleaning supplies and approaches Naomi, grabbing her hands and lifting her up to her feet.)

_He's a tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_A tough lover (woo)_

_He's a tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_A tough lover (oh oh)_

(Joseph gets Naomi into the dancing mood. She slowly, if not clumsily, but happily gets into a swing dance motion with him. Milly herself sways to the beat and tries to get Kallen into the beat, who just watches in bewilderment as her mother actually shows more signs of life than she has shown in a _long _time.)

_Hey, hey, he'yeah_

_He'll make me laugh, he'll make me cry_

_He'll be so tough he'll make Venus come alive_

_He'll do anything that he wants to do_

(Joseph grabs a feather duster and starts sweeping with the beat, Naomi claps her hands with the beat as she watches him work.)

_Step on Jesse James's blue suede shoes, yeah_

(Joseph then grabs a broom and charges out to the main hallway and slides into the center, spinning a little as he does so. Kallen and Milly make sure to keep themselves hidden from their view.)

_A tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_A tough lover (woo)_

_A tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_A tough lover (hey yeah, yeah yeah)_

_A tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_A tough lover (yeah, yeah)_

_A tough lover (oh oh)_

(He sweeps in a circular motion as he gather dust around him, he strikes a pose at the last lyric.)

Naomi laughs heartily and gives Joseph a round of applause.

"Oh my, I haven't had fun like that in years. Though, I never heard a cleaning song like that before." Naomi said happily.

"Mom's favorite." Joseph said with glee.

"His mom danced to that while cleaning?" Kallen quietly asked in a bewildered tone.

"I swear, that woman gives me more reasons to love her." Milly quietly said in a romanticized tone.

Kallen's face goes a bit red at that statement.

After a moment of silence, Joseph decides to ask Naomi something.

"Kallen not like you?" Joseph asked.

This surprised Naomi and Kallen.

"...I guess it is a bit obvious when you think about it. I do make it kind of easy for her to dislike, considering how I present myself." Naomi said with a sad, quiet voice.

"Whaaaa, come on, kind woman, kind face, kind voice, great dancer, very brave. Likeness through roof!" Joseph encouraged with enthusiasm, making Naomi give him a small smile.

It pissed off Kallen to no end, who starting glaring at the two.

_"What the hell does he know?! He doesn't understand anything!" _She thought to herself in anger.

"I appreciate your kind words your high-um...Joseph, but I'm anything but brave." Naomi said quietly.

"Nah, definitely are. Knocked vase purposely after all." Joseph told her casually.

This surprised the rest of the group.

"What do you mean?" Naomi asked timidly.

"Knocked vase as distraction for Bitch. No punishing Kallen. Almost took instead." Joseph told her with a smile of admiration

Kallen was now dumbfounded.

_"She did that to protect me?"_ Kallen asked herself, unsure of what was going on now.

"Yes, I suppose I did. That's what a mother does after all, protect their child. That's all I wanted for my children, to live happy lives." Naomi said sadly.

"Children?" Joseph asked.

Kallen's eyes widen, Milly was surprised as well, she didn't know Kallen had a brother.

"Yes, my son, Naoto. He was Kallen's older brother, she always looked up to him. He was part of the resistance fighters in the area a few years ago, and unfortunately he...he..." Naomi's voice started to well up, as she didn't want to finish the sentence.

Fortunately she didn't have to, as she felt being pulled into a gentle hug.

"Was taken forever." Joseph finished for her quietly.

Naomi just nodded her head as she quietly wept on Joseph's shoulder. Milly looked at Kallen with sadness, who had her head down, as she didn't want to show any type of emotional weakness.

After they let go of the embrace. Naomi wiped her tears and finished her story.

"That's why I stay here. Because it's a way for me to keep a watchful eye on my Kallen, to let her know I'm always there for her, no matter what." Naomi said with a smile.

Now Kallen was completely shellshocked, everything she thought about her mother was wrong.

_"She stayed...for me...?" _Kallen thought to herself as she realized something.

She was a fool. A complete, utter, naive **_fool_**.

"See. Dy-no-mite Mom!" Joseph cheered for her, making Naomi laugh a bit.

"Right Kallen?" Joseph asked as he suddenly looked in the direction Kallen and Milly were hiding. Surprising them and Naomi.

"Kallen?" Naomi asked.

Seeing the jig was up, they came out of their hiding spot.

"How did you..." Milly started to ask.

"Very loud whisperers!" Joseph said with a loud whispery voice.

Kallen however was just looking at her mother with trepidation.

"Mom, is it true, do you really...?" Kallen asked, afraid to finish the question.

Naomi looked at her sweetly.

"Of course, my little girl." Was all she said, before she was suddenly engulfed into hug by a crying Kallen.

"Oh God, I'm such an idiot! All this time, the way I treated you. I'm so sorry mom, I'm the worst daughter ever!" Kallen sobbed into her mother's neck, who just shushed her and rubbed her back like she used to when she was a kid.

Milly looked on at the scene with emotional happiness, wiping a tear that was starting to sprout from her eye. She looked at Joseph who gave her a thumbs up.

"I guess we should take our leave." Milly said quietly to Joseph.

"Yep-per-rooni." Joseph agreed.

As they made their way to the door, Joseph remembered to say something.

"KALLEN!" Joseph shouted, jumpscaring the group there.

He walks over to the mother and daughter and points a finger at Kallen's nose.

"One mother. Don't. Waste." Joseph quietly ordered with a demented look in his eye.

Kallen silently nodded with wide eyes.

And like a switch, he has a friendly demeanor for Naomi.

"Nice meeting. More dancing again." Joseph suggested with a friendly tone.

"Um...sure." Naomi said, not sure what just happened.

...

_Ashford Academy_

"Well, good thing's the Black Knights were there to save them. That's all I can say." Lelouch said to Suzaku as he saw him be bit by Arthur again.

"If they wanted to catch criminals, they could have joined the police force, you know? Why don't they, I wonder?" Suzaku asked curiously.

Lelouch can't help but frown at that question.

"They probably don't think the cops are up to the job. I tend to agree." Lelouch answered, with a bit menace in his voice.

Suzaku looked back at him in surprise

"The police may not be that effective right now, but they could evoke change from within." Suzaku reasoned.

"Yeah, and in the process, they get all tangled up in red tape and bureaucracy." Lelouch then said in a bored tone.

"If they had done everything in their power to change things, that might hold water. As long as they don't, then all of it's just self-righteous posturing." Suzaku insisted.

"Self-righteous?" Lelouch asked.

And what constitutes evil in their eyes? What standards are they using? It's nothing but self-satisfying gratification." Suzaku argued,

Before Lelouch could argue about it, Shirley entered the room.

"Oh, it's just you two?" Shirley asked.

"Anyway, I guess I gotta go back to the base pretty soon. See you around, Shirley." Suzaku gave a wink to Shirley as he made his way out.

"See you later." Shirley said as she turned back to Lelouch and thought about the talk her and Joseph had earlier today.

...

(Flashback)

_"So, when crush on little bro?" Joseph curiously asked._

_Shirley looked up at him surprise at his sudden question. Milly stifles a giggle from the background, Shirley just signs._

_"I guess it is rather obvious when you think about it." Shirley muttered._

_"Yep." Joseph casually said before getting into a seat next to her at quick speed. "Come on, d__eats!" __He insisted __excitedly._

_Shirley gave him a nervous chuckle._

_"Honestly I didn't like Lelouch at the beginning when I first met him. He gave impression that he was flippant, and only thing he worked hard at was avoiding hard work." Shirley reminisced_

_"Little bro for ya." Joseph agreed happily._

_That got a laugh out of both Milly and Shirley._

_"I guess it was when we were both freshmen, I happened to see him come upon a traffic accident. A driver rear-ended another car and was clearly at fault, but he tried to blame on the elderly owners of the other car. Nobody tried to help them. And then… Ah, Lelouch didn't do it so he could boast to his buddies or laugh about it later. He did it with the same bored expression he always wears. That's when I wondered, "What's up with this guy? What goes on his mind? What does he wanna do?" I really wanted to know and in the process of finding out-" Shirley __reminisced with a bit of dreamy tone to her voice before __she looked back at Joseph, who was staring at her with wide eyes and a wide grin on his face._

_"Fell in love!" Joseph said in a giddy tone as he clapped his hands together. __Suzaku said the same thing to her._

_"Well...I..." Shirley didn't know what to say, perhaps they were both right._

_Suddenly, she was pulled into a tight hug by Joseph._

_"New little sis!" Joseph proclaimed with excitement._

_This made Shirley go red with embarrassment._

_"J-joe! You shouldn't be saying stuff like that! Were not even dating!" Shirley said in hysterics._

_Milly just kept on laughing._

_"Not yet!" Joseph pointed out with enthusiasm_

_"Ba-but-" Shirley tried to argue but Joseph wouldn't let her finish._

_"Gotta go in strong. Talk dirty like somebody you used to know. Swalla challa and walk line feeling strived!" Joseph proclaimed._

_"...What?" Shirley asked, very confused by his statement._

_"Make move! Romance movies, someone meets person, don't like first, then get along, then date! Passed three stages!" Joseph proclaimed._

_"...But what if he rejects me." Shirley quietly asked._

_"Smack him myself!" Joseph proclaimed once more. "Dense little bro, gotta open eyes." Joseph said as he emphasized the eyes opening._

_"We'll let you stew on that Shirley. Come along Joseph, we have to deliver these documents to Kallen." Milly said in a playful tone._

_"Okie-dokie! Bye new little sis!" Joseph said as he waved goodbye to Shirley, making her face go red again._

_"Joe!"_

(Flashback End)

Shirley took a deep breath and walked over to Lelouch.

"So Lelou… I was, um…I was thinking if you had some time, you and I-" Shirley nervously tried to ask him out before being interrupted by Lelouch.

"'Back to base'..." Lelouch said with a hint of anger in his voice.

Shirley looked at Lelouch in confusion.

"Now that was an interesting choice of words. 'Go back', implying that's where he thinks he belongs." Lelouch thought out loud.

...

_Sometime Later at a Bar_

"So, about this Orange thing…" Villetta brought up to the sulking Jeremiah, who angrily grunted at her. "Sorry to bring it up. Is this whole thing true, though? That you can't remember anything about when Private Suzaku Kururugi was taken?" She asked him.

"I don't except you to believe me." Jeremiah muttered in a sulking manner.

"No, it's just that… during the whole Shinjuku incident, I suffered some sort of memory lapse also." Villetta confessed.

"You did?" Jeremiah asked as he looked at her in surprise.

"By the time I regained my senses, my Sutherland had been stolen. But right before that entire gap in my memory, I remember running into some high school kid." Villetta explained.

"So you think it was that student?" Jeremiah asked, his full attention on the subject.

"I can't remember his face, but there may still be a way to get to the bottom of this." Villetta told him.

"Hmmm..." Was all Jeremiah said as he took another sip of his drink.

"Um...I also remember another individual alongside the student. An individual who looked homeless...an individual who happened to look similar to-" Villetta didn't get to finish her awkward statement as Jeremiah then slammed his drink down.

"You're starting to tread into high waters, Villetta." Jeremiah said with a quiet intensity.

"I'm not saying he's involved, but he may have some sort of connection to Zero. We all saw how he cheered for him back at Lake Kawaguchi." Villetta argued.

"He saw a man wearing a costume and a cape. I would have been surprised if he _hadn't_ started cheering." Jeremiah reasoned.

"I'm just saying if we bring it to the Viceroy, then perhaps-" Villetta tried to reason only to be stopped by Jeremiah.

"We'll get into even more trouble. Letting Zero get away already demoted us, but accusing a royal of assisting terrorists will just get us thrown in prison cells." Jeremiah told her with a "That's FINAL!" tone.

Villeta sighed and decided to drop it, but that doesn't mean she wasn't going to investigate.

...

_That night in the Tokyo Settlement._

After doing some "EAT THAT HORSE!" chants with some people, Joseph breathed in the night skies as he danced on the roof of some random building. He always enjoyed the way the moonlight shined upon a city, added a tint of beauty.

During his routine, he happened to notice a individual who was walking in a hurried state. He got a closer look and broke into a wide grin when he saw it was Kallen's mother, Naomi.

His joy started to turn into confusion though when he analyzed her appearance.

She appeared to be sweating, had bags under her eyes, and looked like she was in a panic.

_"Ah jeez, is that Bitch giving her the biz again?"_ Joseph thought to himself.

Deciding to investigate, Joseph made his way down to the ground.

"Nao?" Joseph called out to her, using the nickname he gave her.

She looked at him startled, as if expecting something bad to happen. When she recognized it was him, she calmed down a bit.

"Y-your h-high...I-I mean J-Joe. W-what are y-y-you doing h-here?" Naomi stuttered out, her eyes shaking.

"Enjoying night. A-Ok?" Joseph asked her confused and concerned.

"O-Oh, y-y-yes. O-Of c-course, I-I-I m-myself w-was j-j-j-just t-t-taking a-a-an e-evening s-s-stroll t-through..." As Naomi continued to try to give an explanation, Joseph noticed a tiny little detail on her body.

_Several_ tiny little details actually.

She was wearing a short sleeved shirt, which enabled him to see the tiny holes that connected to Naomi's veins. Some old, some fresh. This made Joseph think of something he heard people around the settlement talking about.

Which was Refrain.

Refrain, according to what he heard, was a time travel drug of sorts. Something to take people back to times in the past that they missed the most, considering that description, it was the bestselling drugs for the Japanese.

Not needing anything else, Joseph slowly put a hand on Naomi's shoulder, stopping her nervous ranting.

"Refrain..." Was Joseph said in understanding.

Naomi was shocked at first, but she didn't try to deny it.

"I-It's n-n-not t-t-t-that I-I w-w-wanted t-to, it-it-it j-just m-m-ma-made e-e-everything e-easier to-to g-g-get t-through. W-W-When K-K-Kallen a-accepted m-m-me b-back i-i-into h-h-her l-life, I-I-I-I-I-I t-t-t-thought I-I-I-I-I c-c-c-could s-s-st-stop. B-B-B-But it-it-it-it's s-s-so h-h-h-hard, a-a-and t-t-there's s-s-s-so m-m-m-many t-t-t-things I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I w-w-w-want b-b-b-back. My-my-my-my l-l-l-l-life, my-my-my-my-my h-h-ho-ho-home, my-my-my-my...s-s-s-s-s-s-s-son..." Naomi stuttered out frantically, painfully, and full of lost.

When she finally broke down into a big sob, Joseph made sure he held her tightly as he rubbed her back like his mother used to do whenever he would get sad.

"I-I-I w-want m-my s-son!" Naomi wailed into Joseph's chest.

Joseph knew what he had to do.

...

_Ashford Academy_

_Student Council Building_

Sayoko heard a loud knock on the front door, almost as if someone was banging their head against it.

It obviously wasn't Master Lelouch, he would let his presence be known with a _lot _more subtlety.

It was probably just some drunken student coming back after hours, trying to get their vice president to give more funding to their club.

Sayoko was ready to shoo away the unwanted guest when she opened the door.

The person behind it, was not who she was expecting.

"Joe?" Sayoko asked with surprise and confusion in her voice as she saw him holding a shivering Japanese woman in his arms.

"Hey. Lelouch home?" Joseph casually asked.

...

_Stadtfeldt Residence_

Kallen finally made it back home after their refrain heist. So many Japanese there at that warehouse, it made her think about her mom. Wondering if she herself ever considering using that drug.

The thought terrified her as she knew she only had herself to blame if such a thing happened.

Suddenly she heard her phone ring, she looked at her caller ID and saw it was from the Student Council Building.

Why would they need to call her so late at night?

She answered her phone with a confused "Hello?" and she was surprised to hear Lelouch's voice on the other end.

_"Kallen, your mom is here at the academy."_

...

_Student Council Building_

Kallen sat next to her mother who was lying on the couch with a towel over her head and still shivering.

"What's wrong with her?" Kallen quietly asked.

"Detox. Seen before." Joseph told her in a serious manner.

"Considering the amount of refrain she has taken over the years, it could last for a few days." Sayoko explained as she brought tea into the room.

"It's all my fault, if only I'd pay more attention. Hadn't been so cruel." Kallen said as tears sprouted from her eyes.

"You can't spend your time focusing on the past, Kallen. You can only make sure the future is better." Lelouch said to her in his pajamas.

Kallen looked at him and nodded.

"...Sorry about slapping you earlier today." Kallen awkwardly apologized, but she was confused. "Still what you said..."

"Just because people bow their heads, doesn't mean they should suffer for it." Lelouch told her in an understanding tone.

Kallen looked at him, trying to figure out what makes this guy tick.

"...Well either way, thank you for taking her in." Kallen said and then turned to Joseph. "And thank you for bringing her here."

Joseph waved it off and brought her into a gentle hug.

"Friends for." Joseph told her in a casual manner.

Kallen apprehensively but warmly returned the hug.

Lelouch couldn't help but smile a little.

Then they heard a groggy voice call out Kallen's name, they saw it was Naomi awake and looking at Kallen.

Kallen quickly kneeled down next to her and took her hand.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so sorry I didn't notice." Kallen apologized frantically.

"Shhhh...It's okay, it's not your fault." Naomi quietly said to her.

"I swear to you! I'll make a world where you and I can live a normal life again. So please, Mom, please power through...a little bit longer." Kallen tearfully said.

Naomi then squeezed Kallen's hand.

"Hang in there… Hang in there, Kallen… My little girl…" Naomi tearfully replied.

Kallen smiled.

"Don't you worry…I will. I promise you." Kallen said as he hugged her mother.

"Alright! Celebrate Dance!" Joseph exclaimed, surprising the group there.

He took his walkman from his coat and pressed the play button.

What played sounded like something from an old black and white film, and Joseph started dancing around like one of those old silent actors.

Lelouch couldn't help but shake his head as he chuckled at his brother. Joseph's antics were annoying sometimes, but he meant well. He just wish his antics didn't collide with his rebellion.

Sayoko looked on with a small smile, even tapping her foot.

And Kallen and Naomi just looked on in enjoyment. Taking in the moment that they had with each other right now.

_To Be Continued..._

**Happy New Year! This probably my longest chapter now, sorry it took so long to come out with. I want to thank SomebodyLost for the name "Black Egg", very handy this chapter. EAT THAT HORSE will carry on in later chapters and Kallen's mother will appear in later chapters as well. And some big things will be happening in the next chapters of course. Anyway, leave a comment and tell me what you think. Have a nice day.**


	13. Field Trip! Part 1

_Ashford Academy Pool_

Lelouch looked through a list of applications of recruits as C.C. took a dive into the pool. One application that caught his eye was Diethard Ried, the news producer.

"Hm, a Britannian? Looks too confident to be a spy. An extremist?" Lelouch questions to himself.

"Isn't it wonderful? How the number of recruits keeps growing." C.C. said with a bored tone as she floated on her back in the pool.

"And it was simpler than I ever expected. 'While I bitterly hate the Britannians, I refused to condone terrorism.' That's the prevailing view of most Elevens." Lelouch explained.

"Then basically elevens support the Black Knights for the most part." C.C. said, moving the conversation forward.

"Which in turn makes it easier for us to operate as a whole. It's a huge help that people don't report our activities to the Britannians. Plus, I hear some group called Kyoto offer to send us some Knightmares. The number of informants has been increasing quickly, too. The Japanese can't resist jumping on the bandwagon. They hear well grounded buzzword enough as they go." Lelouch explained, happy the way things are going along.

"Hence the "Knights for Justice" act." C.C. concluded.

"Yeah, well everybody loves a hero, and what better hero than a knight?" Lelouch asked.

"How about a superhero?" C.C. asked in a teasing manner.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at her.

"Honestly, I think he watched too many films growing up. This is anything but a comic book story." Lelouch deadpanned to her.

"At least his antics aren't overshadowing your rebellion." C.C. added on.

"Yes, I have Kallen's mother to thank for that. She's been keeping his attention for the time being." Lelouch said with a smirk.

...

(Flashback)

_Student Council Room_

_"You're Half-Eleven?" Suzaku asked surprised._

_"Yes. My mother is Japanese." Kallen nervously said as she introduced her mother to the student council, who nervously waved to them._

_"It's nice to meet you all." Naomi said with equal nervousness. Joseph put his hand on her shoulder to show support_

_"Why didn't you tell us, Kallen?" Shirley asked._

_"I was afraid how you guys would treat me. I mean, you've seen what happened to Suzaku here. My mother had to do so much just so I could have the same rights you guys do." Kallen explained, smiling at her mother, who smiled back._

_"Well, I say it doesn't matter. You're our friend Kallen, no matter what!" Rivalz exclaimed. _

_"That's right. And your mother is welcomed here as well." Milly said._

_"I'm glad to hear that Prez, she's going to be helping Sayoko around here from now on." Lelouch told her._

_"Wonderful! Wait until our next festival, you're going to love it!" Milly exclaimed._

_"Yeah! Festivals!" Joseph exclaimed as he hugged Naomi, who chuckled. _

_Kallen was surprised by their reactions, but considering how accepting they were of Suzaku, it would make sense they would be so accepting of her and her mother. It made it her smile._

_"Thank you, everyone." Kallen said happily._

_Nina, however, shook nervously. _

_"Another eleven...Prince Joseph seems to like her...I suppose she can't be that bad then." Nina thought to herself, willing to give the Eleven a chance._

_"And don't worry, consider this a council secret. Right everybody?" Milly asked the council.  
_

_"Agreed!" The student council agreed._

_"Alright! To adventure!" Joseph exclaimed as he went to the window._

_"Wait, Joe, where are you going?" Naomi asked._

_"No idea!" Joseph proudly said as he left through the window._

_Naomi looked on in confusion while the council just shook their heads._

_"You get used to his eccentricities." Lelouch told her._

(Flashback end)

...

Joseph helped out Naomi on various duties, as she was still recovering from the refrain chemicals. He also got her involved in more dancing, teaching her from simple moves to more complex sequences(at least ones she could handle).

The student council actually got involved in the dance lessons too, as they found them very fun. Milly even hosted a "Roaring 20s' Ball" as they swung to jazz music. Nina tried to get as many dances with Joseph as possible, and every time he patted her on the head or gave her a hug she ended up going to the bathroom for some reason.

"I suppose it makes sense, probably looking for that mother figure he lost at a young age." C.C. casually said.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't say a thing.

...

_Diethard's Office_

"Yes, I was demoted from my position. In very much the same way that you were." Diethard said.

Jeremiah grunts at that.

"We have no intention of letting the situation end this way. And we have the sneaking suspicion that you don't either." Villetta told him.

"That's so? Well, who can say." Diethard said blankly.

"We have a lead that might help us find zero." Jeremiah insisted.

That got Diethard's attention.

"You're familiar with Ashford Private Academy? I want to investigate a male student attending there. I think he may be working with Zero." Villetta told Diethard as he typed the school on his computer.

"Villetta and I are going to be shipping out with the military soon for duty. And will be stationed in the Narita mountains." Jeremiah told him.

"Narita? Isn't that where the Japan Liberation Front headquarters are rumored to be located?" Diethard deduced.

"You may be a bit too clever for your own good." Jeremiah deduced.

"You overestimate me." Diethard chuckled.

...

_Night_

_Warehouse_

Lights are turned on to reveal a bunch of knightmares. New Black Knights look at them in awe.

"Wow, it's amazing."

"These are Glasgows, aren't they?"

"Burais, a Japanese modification."

"I've never seen these before."

"Man, the Black Knights have gotta some serious muscle."

"It wasn't easy to sign up with the BK."

While the new recruits are talking. The main group consisting of Kallen, Tamaki, Sugimaya, Yoshida, Minami, and Inoue were looking at a special type of knightmare. Painted red with a sliver claw for a right hand.

"Those guys from Kyoto, They believed in us. They sent us this." Sugiyama said in amazement.

"A completely made Japanese Knightmare." Tamaki said in equal amazement.

"A Guren MK2." Kallen said its name in awe.

"Did you check up the manual?" Minami asked.

"I'm really love in this. The big shots in Kyoto are recognizing us. We've got their approval." Tamaki said with, very pleased with the situation.

"Wow. Super cool!" Another voice popped up.

"Sure is..." Sugiyama agreed.

But then realized that wasn't a voice he recognized. He looked at Yoshida who shrugged his shoulders and then looked at Minami who he said "Wasn't me."

When suddenly, a head popped up in between Kallen and Minami. A head that belonged to one Joseph Du Britannia.

"Hi." Was all he said with casualness and a smile on his face.

This surprised the Hell out of the group as Kallen and Minami jumped a few feet back and the rest of the group shouted in surprise.

"Holy...!" Minami shouted.

"What the hell!" Inoue exclaimed.

"Joe!?" Kallen exclaimed in surprise, not expecting to see him here.

"Hey Kallen. How be?" Joseph said casually as he waved at her.

"Hey! You're that 'Eat That Horse!' guy!" Tamaki exclaimed with anger, not happy to see the guy who took some of their thunder away at the hotel incident.

"Yeah! That prince who dresses like a bum!" Minami added on.

"Yep-per-rooni! Joseph Du Britannia, nice to meet!" Joseph introduced himself and stuck out his hand for them to shake.

Only to have a bunch of guns pointed at him. This confused him, only to realize something.

"Oh right. (He bows in a Japanese greeting.) Kon'nichiwa." He says in a polite manner.

This surprised the group, but it didn't deter them away from putting down their guns.

"Guys, wait-" Kallen said, deciding to step in, only for another voice to pop in from the shadows.

"What's the trouble this time?" The voice, belonging to Zero asked, as he stepped out from the shadows, Ohgi was right behind him, himself surprised to see the prince there.

"Captain Zero! Good to see!" Joseph said excitedly, guns still trained on him, as he walked over to Zero and shook his hand frivolously.

"Prince Joseph..." Zero muttered.

Truthfully, Lelouch was only half-surprised to see Joseph here.

The rest of the group though was shocked to see that Zero was taking this greeting so calmly.

"You know, you don't seem that surprised that a prince of Britannia just found his way into our base!" Tamaki exclaimed.

"Because I had a feeling it would happen sooner or later." Zero said casually.

This surprised the group even further.

"What do you mean?" Ohgi asked.

"Considering the enthusiastic applause he gave us back at the hotel, I had a feeling his curiosity would eventually led him to our base. Wanting to see it for himself." Zero deduced.

The group looked at him in surprise while Joseph enthusiastically pointed his fingers at Zero while loudly whispering "Professor X!"

Lelouch mentally sighed at that.

"What I **_do_** want to know, is how you managed to find our base in the first place?" Zero asked Joseph with patience.

"Followed Kallen." Joseph casually said as he pointed at a surprised Kallen.

"Huh?!" Kallen said with shock.

"What the hell, Kallen?! You brought him here!?" Tamaki asked with anger.

"No! I-I have no idea..." Kallen stuttered out, trying to explain.

"Oh, didn't know. Was far away." Joseph explained.

"...Wait, you **_stalked_** me?!" Kallen asked outraged.

"Naw, followed far distance. No presence known." Joseph explained as if teaching a elementary student.

"That's what stalking is!" Kallen said through gritted teeth, really wanting to strangle him at that moment.

Joseph looked at her blankly before the lightbulb went off in his head.

"Oooooooooh..." Joseph said with realization. He thought that only counted for strangers, not friends.

Kallen groaned in annoyance as she facepalmed herself.

"Sounds like you know him personally, Kallen." Zero deduced.

"Uh, well..." Kallen stuttered out, not sure how to explain it.

"Yep! Me and Kallen, best buds!" Joseph exclaimed as he gathered her into a bear hug, swinging her around a bit, surprising the group. This warranted them to put down their guns.

"J-Joe!" Kallen said through strained breath.

"You're friends with a prince?" Ohgi asked with surprise and shock as Joseph put her down.

"Not exactly, he just comes to the school I go to and often hangs out with the council I'm apart of, and I just happen to be there when he comes by sometimes." Kallen tried to explain.

"Thus, best buds!" Joseph concluded for her. To which she gave him a glare that said, _"Not helping!"_

"I see...Joseph, would you mind giving us a minute?" Zero asked the prince.

"Aye-Aye, Captain Zero." Joseph said gleefully as he saluted him.

He then jumped onto the Guren like it was a jungle gym and looked at all its features.

"Hey, get down from that!" Inoue shouted at him.

"It's fine, he won't break it. Just let me know if he goes running off somewhere." Zero instructed.

"Uh, sure." Inoue complied as she kept her focus on the dimwitted prince.

"So what's the plan, Zero? We gonna hold him for ransom for the Viceroy?" Tamaki suggested.

"Or are we going to have to...take him out?" Ohgi asked, he didn't like the idea of killing the prince, as it was clear he was different from Cornelia, killing him would feel more dirty.

Kallen looked at them with surprise, not sure if she liked the sound of that after getting to know Joseph better and all he did for her and her mother.

"Actually, we're going to let him go." Zero said, that surprised everyone, even Kallen.

"Are you kidding! We're just going to let a Britannian prince waltz out of here after he just broke into our base!?" Tamaki exclaimed.

"Technically, he walked in. But I agree, I don't like the sound of that Zero." Sugiyama said.

"Say we did kill him. Not only would Cornelia crack down on trying to find us, she would make sure that the Japanese would receive even worse treatment than they have already. And considering the popularity he's gaining with some of the citizens, we would lose our credibility as knights and lose the faith we gained from the people here. If we were to hold him for ransom, he would unlikely have any intel to give us as I doubt the Viceroy lets him in on her plans.

And while she may be willing to negotiate his freedom for the liberation of Japan, I very much doubt the Emperor would allow it. We all saw firsthand that he doesn't care about his children, especially considering he opened his speech at Clovis' funeral with 'All Men are Not Created Equal.' Letting him go may seem risky, but it's our safest bet. And consider this as well, we all saw what happened to those JLF soldiers back at the hotel. If he really wanted to turn us in, he most certainly could have already." Zero explained to them.

The group looked at him in surprise, as they did not consider any of those things. Honestly, it all made sense when they thought about it. Ohgi looks at Kallen.

"What do think about all this Kallen? You know him the best, what say you?" Ohgi asked her.

The others looked at her as well, wanting to hear her opinion. Kallen was surprised by the sudden attention, but she thought about it for a moment.

"He's odd, I won't deny that. But I agree with Zero, he's not going to do anything to jeopardize our rebellion. Honestly, I think he's our biggest fan." Kallen told them.

This surprised the group but they accepted it.

"Alright, fine." Tamaki muttered.

"Very good. (Directs his attention to Joseph) Joseph! Can you come down here?!" Zero called out to him.

"Okie dokie!" Joseph shouted down as he jumped off the Guren and landed down with ease.

"Got name for robot. **Cherry Dynamite**!" Joseph exclaimed, confusing the group. "Or, **Red Megazoid**!"

"Joseph." Zero called out to him calmly.

"**Apple Clawed-Monger**!" Joseph exclaimed dramatically.

"Joseph!" Zero shouted, getting Joseph's attention.

"Yeah?" Joseph said casually.

"Look, I can't stop you from coming here, but can you at least guarantee you won't tell anyone where this base is located." Zero asked.

"Please Joseph, it's really important you don't tell anyone." Kallen insisted. Joseph patted her head in reassurance.

"Hey, hey, get it. Your Fortress of Solitude, Hall of Justice. Mi casa, su casa. (Zips mouth shut) All good." Joseph reassured with a thumbs up.

The group was apprehensive but they didn't protest. Joseph then realized something.

"Oop, gotta go, me, Eup, charades!" Joseph exclaimed.

He went over to Kallen and gathered her into a hug.

"Bye Kallen." He said happily.

"Uh, later, I guess." Kallen said with a bit of embarrassment.

"Captain Zero." Joseph said as he pointed his fingers at him, Zero just nodded. "Later, new friends." He said lastly as he made his way out.

That definitely shocked the group.

"Wha-No! Hell no! We are not friends!" Tamaki yelled.

"Okay, new buddy!" Joseph yelled back gleefully.

"We're not buddies!" Tamaki insisted angrily.

"Amigos!" Joseph gave one last shout as he exited the base with enthusiasm. Leaving Tamaki to groan with annoyance and the rest of the group to look at the scene with bewilderment, wondering what the Hell just happened.

"Welcome to my world." Kallen said to Tamaki with sympathy

"Hard to believe he's related to the Emperor." Yoshida commented in bewilderment.

"I can't believe **_that guy _**out of all people is going to be able to roam in here, anytime he wants!" Tamaki exclaimed

"I'm surprised at you Tamaki. I would have thought having a prince as a fanboy would have been pleasing for you." Zero teased him.

"Not when it's the damn retard of the bunch!" Tamaki exclaimed.

Lelouch glared at him behind his mask, and would have scolded him if Kallen had not beaten him to the punch.

"Hey! He's not retarded! And even if he was, you have no right to call him that! Calling him that is like us being called Elevens!" Kallen lectured him.

"I agree, learn to be the better man Tamaki." Ohgi chimed in.

"Oh, suddenly we're going to defend a Britannian prince? Whose family is the reason why we're called Elevens in the first place?!" Tamaki came back with.

"Enough! We have bigger issues to move on to!" Zero ordered, ending their arguments.

"Sorry Zero." Kallen said, ashamed her emotions got the better of her.

"Alright, alright, already." Tamaki muttered.

"Good. Kallen, The Guren Mk-II is yours now." Zero told her as he tossed the keys to her. She looked at him with surprise.

"Mine? but we have a lot more people now, and we can't afford to lose you. We need the Guren's defense to protect you." Kallen tried to argue.

"You're a top notch pilot, I'm a commander, I'll use a Burai. But you're our only ace to play during a battle. Besides, You have a reason to fight." Zero told her.

"He's right Kallen. If anybody deserved to pilot that thing, it's you. " Ohgi added on with confidence. That seemed to do the trick.

"Right." Kallen said with a smile.

"Ohgi, any news?" Zero asked.

"Ah, right. We got some weird intel here from a Britannian who wants to join up with the Black Knights. (Passes coordinates to Zero) This maybe a trap to draw us out.  
I'd say even if we wanna confirm the information it's too risky to contact him directly. But news like this isn't something we can just ignore. What should we do?" Ohgi asked.

"This weekend, we're going hiking. To the Narita mountains." Zero told them.

This surprised the group.

"Very well, then." Ohgi said.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

Joseph made his way back to the palace, the guards making sure **not **to shoot him on sight as they now had posters at their checkpoints to remind newbies that he was prince.

He was making his way to find Euphie when he heard a couple of voices arguing in Corn's office.

Always being one who liked to snoop, he brought his ear to the closed door and listened in.

"I must insist you let me come with you sister." Euphemia said with determination.

"Euphie, this isn't some field trip! We're going to be taking out the JLF at the Narita Mountains and it'll be dangerous for you there!" Cornelia insisted upon her.

"I took a field trip and ended up being held hostage. I think I have a pretty good idea of what danger is." Euphemia bemused.

"Well what about Joseph? Are we just supposed to let him be here by himself?" Cornelia asked annoyed.

"He travels back and forth around the settlement with ease, he'll be fine." Euphemia reasoned.

"Ugh, I swear, he's worse than you sometimes. I suppose I can stop him though, he's always been a free-spirited individual, a trait he probably got from his mother. " Cornelia said defeated.

Joseph smiled at that, being compared to his mother was something he took in strive.

"Very well Euphemia, but you must follow strict guidelines and stay within the G1 at all times." Cornelia ordered.

"Thank you Sister!" Euphemia said excitedly.

_"JLF and the Narita mountains huh? Knowing Lelouch, he probably already figured out Corn's plans. Well that's not fair! How come he and Corn's crew get to have all the fun!?" _Joseph thought with annoyance. Even Euphie was able to go.

Then a thought occurred to him.

"Lightbulb." Joseph quietly said with a devious smile.

...

_Ashford Academy_

Sayoko and Naomi both came into Nunnally's room to bring her a new batch of clothing and to help her out of bed.

"Sayoko, Naomi, we won't need any breakfast for my brother this morning." Nunnally told her.

"He's going out?" Naomi asked.

"He'll be leaving on a three day trip starting today." Nunnally continued.

"Oh, I see. My, your brother's been going out quite a bit recently. Think it's a girlfriend?" Sayoko happily asked.

"Maybe it is." Nunnally said.

"Well perhaps Joseph will come over and keep you company, he's been very helpful." Naomi commented happily.

"Yes, it's nice to have him back in our lives." Nunnally said happily.

"Kallen told me you were childhood friends right?" Naomi asked.

"You could say that." Nunnally said.

...

_Narita Mountains_

"We're certain that the Japan Liberation Front headquarters are in this area. We've already split 4 battalions into seven units and hidden them in the vicinity. We've only to wait for the viceroy signal then we'll surround them in one fell swoop and wipe them out" Darlton explained.

"And are you confident that the enemy won't show up outside the encirclement line?" Euphemia asked.

"You mean Zero?" Cornelia asked.

"Have no fear about that. As the operation begins, we'll be blocking off the surrounding highways and mountain routes also." Darlton reassured.

"Plus, we have reserve units. If Zero is stupid enough to show up, it'll be the end of him." Cornelia concluded.

...

"I've been wondering about something Lelouch, Why are you Lelouch?" C.C. asked him.

Lelouch sighed with annoyance.

"I don't have time to discuss philosophy with you." Lelouch said.

"You changed your family sir name to Lamperouge but you kept Lelouch the name that was given to you at birth. How sentimental. You can't let go of the past." C.C. quietly said.

"Well, C.C. swings to the other extreme, doesn't it? It's not a human name." Lelouch argued.

"Lelouch, do you know why snow is white? Snow is white because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be." C.C. said with a smile in a somewhat sad tone

...

"All units are in position." A soldier told Cornelia, who was in her Knightmare.

"Understood. Euphemia will provide logistical support From G1 as planned. Have her command medical group." Cornelia ordered

"Yes, Your Highness." The soldier said.

"Princess Cornelia..." Guilford communications came up with something on his mind.

"Guilford, let me guess. This is about Euphie, isn't it?" Cornelia asked, guessing where the conversation was going.

"Yes. she really should be in a government agency, not…" Guilford tried to insist.

"But she's being unusually stubborn about this. She told me she wanted to see actual combat for herself. Still, at least she's just one sibling I have to worry about here today." Cornelia said.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to leave Joseph by himself?" Guilford couldn't help but ask.

"I don't like the idea either, but Euphemia insisted I give him some leeway, so just got to hope for the best." Cornelia said tiredly.

...

Meanwhile, an eager Joseph jumped out of a cargo truck he snuck into when the trip to Narita began. Thankfully, he had his tree bark to keep his stomach settled.

He took a deep breath in of the area.

_"Ahhhh, Narita Mountains, very...mountainy...__...__...__...__...Okay, I'm bored. Might as well explore until the fighting starts." _Joseph thought to himself as he made his around into the forest-filled mountains.

...

" What's that unit there holding to the rear." Euphemia asked, looking at the map in front of her. She could see a unit away from the Cornelia's forces.

"Our reserve force with an Eleven pilot." One of the soldiers explained to her.

"What? You mean that's the Lancelot?" Euphemia asked, surprised.

" As a rule, Numbers aren't permitted to operate Knightmares but that particular unit is an exception." The soldier explained to her.

"The second prince is the patron of that unit. We have no say over their personal selection. But he said he wants them to have as many chances at real combat as possible." Another soldier explained to her.

Euphemia looked at the map with concern, thinking about Suzaku.

...

Joseph made his way down the mountains as he danced to some country-pop, he wondered why a lot of them were about break-ups, but he couldn't deny they had a great beat to them. As traveled further down, he saw a small town, this excited him as perhaps he could buy some knick knacks and some batteries for his walkman with the money Cornelia gave him.

When he got to the town, a few people noticed him but didn't do much else.

_"I wonder if they watch the news out here?"_ Joseph thought to himself when a middle-aged man approached him.

"Prince Joseph Du Britannia?" The man asked, surprised to see a prince in his presence.

"Yep-per-rooni. Nice to meet, Mr...?" Joseph happily asked, sticking his hand out for the man to shake.

"Oh, uh, Fenette. Joseph Fenette, your highness. It's an honor to meet you, this may just be a coincidence, but I believe you know my daughter, Shirley Fenette. She goes to Ashford Academy." Mr. Fenette explained nervously as he shook Joseph's hand.

Joseph got a lot more excited now knowing who the man was.

"Shirley's dad?! Get over here!" Joseph exclaimed as he brought Mr. Fenette into a tight hug, surprising him and suffocating him at the same time.

"Can't breathe, your highness." Mr. Fenette said in strained breath. Joseph put him down.

"Hey, same name! Joseph, Joseph!" Joseph said excitedly, it was a common name, but he always enjoyed coming across another Joseph like himself.

"Um, yes, indeed." Mr. Fenette said, catching his breath.

"Father of Shirley, friend of me!" Joseph exclaimed, happy to meet another parent of one of his friends. Especially one who was going to be his father-in-law!

"I-I appreciate that your highness. But, what exactly are you doing here?" Mr. Fenette asked, shocked that a prince was willing to be friends with him so quickly.

Joseph was about to answer when a rumbling started to occur.

"What on Earth?" Mr. Fenette wondered as the rumbling got louder.

They looked up and saw an avalanche of dirt, rocks, and trees falling straight towards the town.

"Holy Guacamole!", "Oh my God!" Joseph and Mr. Fenette said at the same time.

Seeing how all that dirt was going to the bury that whole town, Joseph thought it be best they both hightail out of there.

"Go time!" Joseph exclaimed as he thrust a surprised Mr. Fenette over his shoulders.

He started running as fast he could, dodging trees and jumping over large rocks. And while he was pretty fast, he wouldn't be fast enough to escape the dirt waterfall that was rapidly approaching them.

"We're not going to make it!" Mr. Fenette yelled, fearing for their lives.

But Joseph was determined, and he was certainly not going to let his new father-in-law die like this.

So he jumped onto a tree branch, and then onto another, and then another. Until finally he reached the top of a very tall, thick tree, hoping it would be enough to save them

As the avalanche hit them, they shook around chaotically, and the dirt was getting higher, and they started tilting. It was all such a rush for Joseph, he couldn't help but laugh!

"ON CRASHER, ON THRASHER, ON THE VOMIT AND BLITZKRIEG! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Joseph exclaimed, enjoying the ride.

Mr. Fenette on the other hand, was screaming frantically at the top of his lungs in fear and panic.

Suddenly, when they were just inches away from the dirt, the rumbling stopped, and so did they.

"Wow! Awesome! Roller-coaster!" Joseph happily exclaimed as he jumped down onto the dirt.

He put Mr. Fenette down, who was trying to catch his breath.

"...Oh God...I didn't think... we would make it...what was that?" Mr. Fenette asked as he caught his breath.

"Dirt avalanche." Joseph said.

"What could have caused it, an earthquake?" Mr. Fenette asked.

"Nah, fighting going on. Intentional, most like." Joseph explained.

"Intentional? You mean like terrorists?" Mr. Fenette asked, more in fear now, wondering if he just entered a battle zone.

Instead of answering, Joseph hopped up onto another tall tree to get a better look at what was going on. Once he got to the top, he could a catch a glimpse of what was going on in the higher parts of the mountains. Knightmares were fighting, explosions occurring, it was all amazing to watch.

But first things first, he had to get his father-in-law to safety. Luckily, he made sure to memorize where the G1 was.

He jumped back down, and picked up a confused Mr. Fenette.

"Wait, where are we going?" Mr. Fenette asked, surprised he was being lugged around again.

"Sisters." Was all Joseph said casually.

...

"Orange? Die!" Jeremiah exclaimed as he charged his knightmare towards Zero's Burai, only for Kallen's Guren to land in front of him and knock his gun out of his hands. He responded by having sword-like weapons come out of the knightmare's arms.

"Lord Jeremiah!" Villetta exclaimed, wanting to help.

"Stay out of this. This is my duel." Jeremiah told her.

"But look at it, I've never seen a Knightmare like that before. Is it possible that the Elevens have…" Villetta said, analyzing the strange knightmare.

"You think Elevens are capable of such technology?" Jeremiah said, brushing off his comments.

He charged the Guren, only for it to block and dodge his moves and then jump high in the air.

"It's fast." Jeremiah said, surprised.

The Guren landed in front Jeremiah, trying to attack him. Jeremiah was able to block it just in time.

"This thing, is this what destroyed Carius's unit?" Jeremiah asked.

"Yeah that's right Britannia. We can finally go up against you on equal footing head on. And our counter attack begins with this baby the Guren Mk-II!" Kallen exclaimed inside the Guren as she reaches her silver claw towards Jeremiah's knightmare.

"Oh hell! There's something on its right hand." Jeremiah saw the attack coming, and started to back away.

"But if I keep my distance." Jeremiah deduced, thinking he was safe.

Only to see the claw extend itself.

"What's this?" Jeremiah asked in shock.

The claw grabbed onto its face, the ground started to rumble around them.

"Sorry." Kallen said, not really meaning it.

She pushed a button and Jeremiah's knightmare started to glow a bright red and puff up like a bag of popcorn.

"Ah! What– What the hell's happening?!" Jeremiah asked himself as everything around him started to short circuit.

"Lord Jeremiah, eject!" Villetta tried to tell him over the communicator, before it fizzled out.

"I can't run now! Zero's right in front of me! He's standing right here!" Jeremiah tried to reach out to him, only to see the auto-eject warning pop up on his screen.

"Damn it! The auto-eject! Don't you dare activate! I can still get Zero! I know it! I know I can still get him!" Jeremiah shouted crazily as his nose started to bleed and his eyes shrunk down to dots, wanting to get his hands on the person who disgraced him.

But it was no use.

"Aah!" Jeremiah gave one last scream as he fell unconscious before the cockpit ejected itself.

The silver claw retracted back into its slot and the knightmare exploded around the Guren, making it look like a fiery demon out of Hell.

"You know, Cherry Dynamite might just be the perfect name for this beast!" Kallen said with a grin.

"They defeated Lord Jeremiah! Who are the Black Knights? Who are they, these warriors?" Villetta asked herself, shellshocked.

...

"What are our losses?" Euphemia asked.

"At least 20%, your highness." A soldier told her grimly.

"Dear Lord..." Euphemia said quietly, never expecting this to happen.

"I can't reach General Alex. It looks like the second division has been wiped out." Another soldier told her.

"And the Viceroy?" Euphemia asked with concern, but making sure to present herself with leadership.

"Her and her forces seem to have made it unscathed, your highness." A soldier told her. Euphemia gave a small sigh of relief.

_"Thank goodness, please make it back sister." _Euphemia thought to herself.

"Your highness, one of our units sees something heading this way!" A soldier told her.

"The JLF, or possibly Zero's forces?" Euphemia asked.

The soldier received word back and his expression turned into confusion.

"Uh...no. They're not sure but they think it's some homeless man with an overcoat on, carrying something around his shoulders.

_"Huh!" _Euphemia thought flabbergasted, but made sure to keep her composure.

"Hold your fire. Let him through." Euphemia ordered.

"Your highness, are you sure?" A soldier asked.

"Trust me, he's not a threat." Euphemia told them tiredly.

Soon enough, they see the figure jumping in and out through the trees before finally landing in the grasslands in front of the G1.

"Hey! Eup, Corn! Up there?!" Joseph yelled out, still carrying a frazzled Mr. Fenette.

"It is him!" Euphemia exclaimed, not expecting this at all.

"Prince Joseph?! What's he doing here?!" A soldier exclaimed.

"Hello! Man in need!" Joseph yelled again as he gestured to the man he was holding over his shoulders.

Euphemia pushed the intercom button.

"Joseph, it's Euphemia. Please make your way up to the G1's command center." Euphemia told him.

"Sure thing!" Joseph said gleefully.

And instead of walking up to the entrance, he started jumping onto the G1 like an obstacle course. Euphemia was confused at first, until she saw where he was heading.

"Wait, wait! I meant use the-"

*CRASH!*

Euphemia didn't get to finish, for Joseph crashed through a window of the G1, feet first.

"...main entrance." Euphemia finished weakly.

He finally put the very frazzled man down, who was a bit shellshocked at all that had just happened to him.

Before Euphemia could get a word in, Joseph ran up to her and engulfed her into a tight hug.

"Hey Eup! How you be!?" Joseph asked her excitedly.

"Uh..." Euphemia didn't really get to answer because she was having a hard time breathing, and Joseph didn't let her answer.

"Oh! Meet someone!" Joseph exclaimed as he dragged the frazzled man by the hand up to her.

"Eup, Shirley's dad. Shirley's dad, Eup." Joseph introduced them to each other. He got close to Euphemia and whispered to her loudly. "Same name!"

"Uh, yes, Joseph Fenette, a pleasure to meet you, your highness." Mr. Fenette said nervously as he curtsied, still getting over his shock and now surprised he met two royals in the same day.

"Uh, a pleasure. But why did Joseph bring you here? And how did you even get here in the first place, Joseph?!" Euphemia asked, more confused than ever.

"Snuck on truck. Be part of fun too!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Joe! We are in the middle of a battle!" Euphemia told him.

"I know!" Joseph told her happily.

Euphemia was starting to get frustrated. Usually, she was fine with Joseph's antics, just not when they were dealing with **life-threatening situations!**

"Your highness, if I may interject. If Joseph hadn't come here to Narita, I probably wouldn't be alive right now." Mr. Fenette explained to her.

This surprised Euphemia.

"What do you mean?" Euphemia asked.

"Well, when I came to meet Prince Joseph, an avalanche started and headed straight into the town I was in. He threw me over his shoulders and got me out of there just in time. He saved my life." Mr. Fenette explained, smiling graciously at Joseph, who gave him a thumbs up.

"Avalanche? Wait, you were there when that happened?!" Euphemia exclaimed with concern, knowing now that her brother was literally inches away from death.

"Yep! Dirt and trees were(makes a sound imitating the avalanche and sliding his hand down to show how the avalanche came). Pick up Shirley's dad(literally picks Mr. Fenette up, who tried talk him out of it) and ran!"

He starts running circles around the command center, Euphemia and the soldiers watch him with WTF faces.

"Dirt closer, so jump on trees!(Starts jumping on the machinery that's there, the soldiers tried to make him stop. He finally stops on his own, landing next to Euphemia, and puts down a bewildered Mr. Fenette.) On tallest tree, avalanche hits!(Makes a crashing sound) Dirt rising!(dramatizes the dirt rising with his arms.) Me, HAHAHAHAHA! Him, AHHHHHHHHHHH! Then stops. Come down tree, jump back here." He finished explaining his story with a dopey smile.

Everyone looked at him with bewildered expressions, not sure what to say.

"So, where Corn?" Joseph asked.

"Um, she's currently trying to wipe out the JLF. Though with this avalanche, she's most likely up against Zero's forces now." Euphemia told him.

Joseph was surprised at this, he didn't expect Cornelia to actually go into the battlefield. Just do what generals do and stand there while giving out orders. His thoughts came to a crossroad at that point.

He wanted Lelouch to succeed in his superhero endeavors, but he didn't want Cornelia to get hurt or worse, killed. He knew Lelouch wasn't against killing his siblings with Clovis, but he actually had a good relationship with Cornelia.

So he made his decision.

"Will check on Corn! What siblings do!" Joseph proclaimed.

The rest look at him with shock.

"What!? Joseph, you can't be serious! It's a war zone out there!" Euphemia exclaimed.

"Done war zones, Eup. No big deal." Joseph told her as he stretched his arms and legs. As if preparing for a run.

"Your highness, please. We have plenty of forces to dismantle the terrorists!" A soldier tried to reason with him.

"Any siblings?" Joseph asked the soldier.

"Uh, no your highness." The soldier responded.

"Then shad-up." Joseph told him in a mocking tone. Surprising and confusing the soldier.

Joseph went over to Mr. Fenette and gave him a quick hug.

"Bye, new father-in-law." Joseph told him.

This surprised Euphemia and Mr. Fenette.

"Wait, what do you mean-" Mr. Fenette didn't get to finish his question as Joseph suddenly stick fists in the air and yelled.

"COMING CORN!"

And then he charges straight for the center window.

"Wait, Joseph, don't-!" Euphemia tried to warn him, but it was to no avail as he broke through the window, yelling out a "WOOOOO" while he was at it, and landed on the ground with ease.

He then charged his way back into the forest like a man on a mission, which he was.

Back in the G1, Euphemia was pinching her nose while Mr. Fenette and the soldiers looked in shock at the sudden action.

"Well he's...um...spontaneous." Was all Mr. Fenette could say.

"Yes he is." Was all Euphemia could say with a tired smile. Like it or not, this was just her brother being her brother.

"That was bulletproof glass he broke through, right?" Mr. Fenette asked with disbelief.

"Yes it was." Was all Euphemia said.

"...Huh." Was all Mr. Fenette could say from all the craziness he witnessed today.

"Yep..." Euphemia said, feeling like she really needed a nap.

_To Be Continued..._

**Once again, apologies for taking so long to post, been busy with work and other projects. So we now reached our first biggest canon divergence, which is Shirley's father lives, saved by Joseph no less. If anybody hasn't realized it by now, Joseph is an ****adrenaline junkie, he loves the action that happens around him. I gave hints of it when he was in the elevator with the JLF soldiers. What he does with it here will be seen next chapter. Tell me what you think and I'll see you next time!**


	14. Field Trip! Part 2

_Narita Mountains_

"Well this is certainly unexpected." Lloyd slipped out of nowhere.

"What is it Lloyd?" Suzaku asked, curious of his findings.

"It seems Prince Joseph has found his way here in Narita." Lloyd told him and Cecile with his signature smirk.

"What! Prince Joseph?!" Cecile said surprised.

"How!? When?!" Suzaku asked in shock.

"Apparently he hitch a ride here without anyone knowing, a sneaky one isn't he? Now it seems he's charging his way into the battlefield to help his sister Cornelia with no knightmare at all." Lloyd told them casually.

"Huh!?", "Without protection?!" Cecile and Suzaku exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes, he certainly is a plucky one. Not only that, but it seems reports are saying the Black Knights are here." Lloyd said.

"Zero! I have to go get Joseph!" Suzaku said, ready to fire up the Lancelot.

"Hold your horses, as much as I would love to launch the Lancelot, we still have to wait for orders. Given your status, the Viceroy wouldn't like it much if an Honorary Britannian were to charge in without permission." Lloyd explained.

"Do you think she would feel better if her brother were to die out there!" Suzaku argued.

"I'm sorry Suzaku, as much as I would like to help Joseph too, there isn't much we can do right now." Cecile said sympathetically.

Suzaku gritted his teeth, angry he couldn't do anything for his friend.

"However, there is someone we still haven't brown-nosed to." Lloyd said we a sly smile.

...

_G1 Base_

"Is there anyway we can warn the Viceroy and her royal guard about Prince Joseph coming their way?" Euphemia asked calmly.

She sent Mr. Fenette to a field hospital located a few miles away so he wouldn't be in danger. Though she would be sure to ask him a few questions about this whole "stepfather" business.

"Unfortunately, their location is too far away to get a signal." A soldier told her.

"Are the Pure Bloods holding their ground?" Another soldier asked.

"Yes sir. Under Lady Villetta's command." The same soldier told them.

"Then use the moment for the viceroy to retreat. When she gets close enough, we can tell her of Prince Joseph's status. Send air cover." The other soldier ordered.

"No wait. Something's approaching the Viceroy from behind." Euphemia told them while looking at the map down below her.

Good thing they had that, considering Joseph destroyed their primary screen.

...

A row of trucks head towards Cornelia's location. There are no drivers, it's an automatic setup.

"All units, are you ready?" A man asked.

"Yes sir." A union of soldiers answered.

"All right. Deploy the custom Burais." The man ordered.

"Deploy." The soldiers obeyed.

The trucks's roofs open, lifting up five Burais. The pilots consist of Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Nagisa Chiba, Shōgo Asahina, Ryōga Senba, and Kōsetsu Urabe. Together, they are known as the Four Holy Sword.

"Listen carefully. If this landslide was manmade, it should allow us to hit Cornelia from behind. Capture Cornelia now. Take revenge for what happened seven years ago." Tohdoh told them.

"Yes sir. By the honor of the Four Holy Sword." The Four Holy Knights say all together.

They made their move. Their Burais come out from behind.

"What?" Cornelia exclaimed, surprised by this sudden change.

The Burais attack the Glasgows with heated chainsaw-like swords, cutting them in half.

"Protect her highness!" Guiford ordered as the royal guard gather around her, ready to defend her.

"Surround them!" Tohdoh ordered.

"Japan Liberation Front?" Cornelia asked herself in realization.

The Burais charge through the soldiers.

"These are not just any Burais." Tohdoh commented.

"This reminds me of seven years ago." Asahina said nostalgically

"But it's different now. This time we have Knightmares as well." Chiba said determined.

"Your highness, leave them to us. Please you have to withdraw for now." Guilford told Cornelia as he charged towards a Burai, swords clashing.

"Very well. I know a way to turn this around. Guilford. After you drive them back, meet me over at point nine." Cornelia called out to him.

"Nine? I understand." Guilford said.

"Cornelia!" The Four Holy Swords yelled out, trying to use their cables, only to be deflected by her.

"You weaklings." Cornelia insulted as she charged her way out of there.

...

Joseph stood upon a very tall tree and looked around for Cornelia. It was hard to tell who was where, because a lot of the knightmares looked the same.

_"Think Joe, what could distinguish Corn from the rest?" _Joseph thought to himself.

Looking around some more, he got his answer.

He noticed a knightmare wearing a cape and holding a lance in some kind of trench.

And he remembered being in the ASEEC with Cornelia standing next to a knightmare with a cape and a lance that she said was her knightmare.

Ergo, Cornelia's knightmare!

Joseph realized he was going to need some music to **up** his adrenaline. He got a tape called "ENERGY MUSIC", inserted it into his walkman, and pressed play. He let out a battle cry that sounded similar to a talking sponge who was trying to capture a blue jellyfish and he jumped his way through the trees towards the trench with a determined but excited smile.

...

"Sub-viceroy Euphemia you must act now to prevent a disaster. Send in the G1!" A soldier insisted.

"No." Euphemia told him.

"But commander Guilford is completely pinned down. He can't get to Cornelia. Her life is at stake here." Another soldier insisted.

"We can't. There's a field hospital right here and civilians. They've been evacuated from all over the area and brought to this point. Besides, the G1 base is a command center. The Viceroy ordered me not to move it no matter what, that's why…I just can't. Euphemia said, having trouble getting the words out.

Her sister Cornelia was always a born leader, even Joseph didn't hesitate to go and try to help her, stupid as it may have been. But here, she felt lost, lives were on the line and she couldn't do anything. What was she suppose to do!?

And suddenly, she got her answer when communications popped up. It was Lloyd, Cecile, and Suzaku.

"Well, hello there. The ASEEC crew reporting for duty." Lloyd said with his signature snark.

"Insolence! You are irregulars. Your orders are to keep silent and observe." A soldier said.

"Yes sir, normally we would but-" Cecile tried to explain nervously before being interrupted by Lloyd.

"But all of this waiting around is boring." Lloyd finished for her.

"Sub-viceroy Euphemia, I beseech you. Please order us into the battle, let me help the Viceroy and find Prince Joseph." Suzaku asked with determination.

"How transparent. You just want the glory of rescuing the Viceroy and his majesty." A soldier argued

"Our whole army is out there. You think one unit is going to change things with an Eleven pilot?" Another soldier argued.

"Right, right. But what's the harm in trying? Since it's just one unit it won't look bad for you if we lose, right..." As Lloyd was trying to give reasons to let them use the Lancelot, Euphemia could see Suzaku mouth something slowly.

It surprised her, and made her slightly blush.

_"Euphie?"_

"Yes I understand. Please do it. Help my brother and sister." Euphemia ordered, surprising the soldiers.

"We got it." Lloyd said gleefully.

"Thank you very much." Cecile said with gratitude.

"Right! I won't fail!" Suzaku said with determination.

...

Tohdoh was having a challenging fight with Guilford.

"Damn it. He's fierce." Tohdoh commented.

Guilford threw out a chaos mine

Scatter!" Tohdoh ordered his Swords

They were able to move in time and dodge it.

"Lieutenant Colonel, what about Cornelia." Urabe asked.

"If Zero's the man I think he is, he's moving into position right now. We've got to trust him."

"What? Zero's on the move?" Guilford asked Villetta on the screen.

"Right. We'll keep going and come over and back you up." Villetta suggested.

"Never mind that now. Just track Zero." Guilford ordered.

"Yes sir. This is his projected course." Villetta told him as a map took over his screen, showing the course Zero was going.

"The princess was trying to trap Tohdoh. Now there's a Knightmare waiting for her. Princess Cornelia!" Guilford shouted to Cornelia trying to warn her.

But it was too late, the Guren was waiting for her.

"I got the message. Guilford." Cornelia told him quietly.

...

Suzaku inserted the key into the slot, starting up the Lancelot.

"Advanced weapon system Z01 Lancelot. Utilize sand-panels to climb liquified slope at max combat speed, find Joseph and rescue the Viceroy." Cecile told him.

"Yes, my Lord." Suzaku said.

"Suzaku, there's one thing I want to ask you." Lloyd spoke up.

"What's that?" Suzaku asked.

"More than anything, you hate when people die. Yet, you are in the military. Why is that?" Lloyd asked intrigued.

"I'm in the military to stop people from dying." Suzaku told him.

"And that self-contradiction will get you killed someday." Lloyd said casually, to which he was then roughly grabbed by Cecile in anger. "Ugh, sorry about that." Lloyd apologized.

Suzaku chose to ignore this and get his head in the game.

"Lancelot, now launching…" Suzaku said, rushing the Lancelot out of there.

...

"They're good. I can see why he's called the Miracle Worker." Guilford to himself as the battle between them waged on. "Hold steady! Don't let down your Viceroy." He told his soldiers.

"Right!" They said unison.

"Don't think it'll be that easy, it's not how it was last time!" Senba shouted.

They were about to charge each other again when they heard a faint sound that was getting closer.

_"Is that...music?"_ Villetta thought to herself.

She got her answer in the form of a Joseph Du Britannia running towards them with an excited look on his face. He also appeared to be..._**dancing**_?

_Tick-tock on the clock_

_But the party don't stop, no_

_Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh_

_Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh_

"What in the Hell?" Asahina asked in astonishment.

_"Joseph?"_ Tohdoh asked himself in surprise, not expecting to see his old pupil **here **out of all places.

"Prince Joseph?!" Guilford called out in shock through the speaker.

"Hi, Captain Buzzkill!" Joseph waved at him before jumping up and saluting him, spinning 360 degrees while he did so, and making his way past the knightmares. "Bye, Captain Buzzkill!"

For a moment, the knightmares just stood still, trying to comprehend what just occurred. Until a Burai took that moment to attack Villetta's knightmare, ejecting her cockpit.

"His highness!" Guilford shouted, trying to go after him. Only to be stopped by another Burai.

"I wouldn't focus too much on him if I were you!" Chiba snarked at him.

"Damn it. I can't get to him like this! Wait...the direction he was heading in..." Guilford said to himself as he calculated Joseph's moves.

...

"Cornelia!" Kallen shouted as she charged the Guren towards her.

"Lowborn scum!" Cornelia grunted as she tried to get a hit on the Guren, only for it to swiftly dodge her lance.

"What's this? That's not just a customized unit." Cornelia said, surprised by the Guren's swift movements.

She tried to gain higher ground, only to be shot back down by another knightmare.

"Can you hear me, Cornelia. This is checkmate." Zero spoke to her through the speaker of the other knightmare.

More knightmares join up behind him.

"Zero." Cornelia grunted.

"Yes. Should we cerebrate our reunion? Of course, you'll have to surrender to us first. And after that, there are a few questions I want to ask you. And in case you are wondering, your reinforcements won't get here in time. I win, Cornelia." Zero told her in spite.

Truthfully, while he didn't think she was responsible for his mother's death anymore, there were still things she could know surrounding. Like who was she meeting, what was Schneizel's involvement? The only way to found out was to capture her.

Of course, it wasn't the only reason, she may know of any military operation plans that could help his rebellion go his way in the future, which he told his fellow Black Knights.

Cornelia's knightmare stood back up.

"You are a fool, Zero. This one. If I take this one out, I'm free and clear!" Cornelia shouted, about to raise its rifle back up when suddenly she heard a noise.

Zero and his group heard it too. It sounded like someone was screaming and flicking their tongue back and forth.

"BLALALALALALALALA!" Joseph shouted as he jumped down the cliff, and landed with ease. To which he then he struck a dramatic pose.

"Yippie-Ka-Yay, FotherMuckers!"

"JOSEPH!?" Cornelia, Lelouch, and even Kallen shouted inside their knightmares.

Suddenly, Cornelia's communications came on.

"Your highness! Prince Joseph is here! He's heading in your direction!" Guilford warned her.

"Once again, your timing is impeccable Guilford." Cornelia deadpanned at him as she shut of communications.

"Hi Captain Zero!" Joseph shouted as he waved to Lelouch's knightmare. "Hi, Cherry Dynamite!" He said waving to Kallen's Guren.

"Cherry Dynamite?" Cornelia asked herself in confusion.

"WHAT THE!? THIS GUY AGAIN?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? ARRGGH!" Tamaki shouted from his knightmare.

"Ha ha! He's like sand that you can never completely get rid of after a trip to the beach!" Zero laughed.

"What! You're happy that he's here!" Tamaki questioned in exasperation.

"More of I'm becoming used to his antics." Zero answered him.

And it was true, while Lelouch was shocked at first to see his brother actually come into the battlefield like this. He realized a second later that after seeing his brother's actions over the past few weeks, this would be something he would do.

"Joseph, what the hell are you doing here!" Cornelia demanded of him.

"Came to protect. SISTER AFTER ALL!" Joseph yelled out, particularly to Lelouch.

Lelouch sighed at this.

_"Do I really need to explain how war works again?__"_ Lelouch deadpanned inside his head.

"This is a very dangerous situation, Joseph! Get out of here!" Cornelia demanded.

"Please! I am danger that flaps at night!" Joseph said dramatically.

"What?" Cornelia and a lot of other people were asking themselves.

"And you.." Joseph started with as he climbed his way up to the knightmare's eyes, surprising Cornelia. "...Have 'splaing to do." He finished with a faux-latino accent as he poked the the knightmare in its eyes.

"What on Earth are you talking about?!" Cornelia asked in exasperation.

"Having all fun without me! Even Eup came! Wanna see action too!" Joseph complained to her.

"For the love of God, I am NOT having this argument with you right now of all places!" Cornelia yelled at him, forgetting that she was trying to fight someone at that moment.

Kallen on her end, sat in her cockpit, bewildered at the fact that the Goddess of Britannia was actually getting into an argument with Joseph, who appeared out of nowhere, in the middle of a battle.

Not sure what to do, she opened communications to Zero.

"Uh, Zero..." Kallen said, not sure how to start the conversation.

"Yes, I know, this has become a strange occurrence of events. However, this may very well worked in our favor." Zero told her on her screen.

"Huh?" Kallen said in confusion, not sure where he was going to go with this.

"Joseph, I am telling you to leave right now!" Cornelia demanded.

Joseph responded by hopping on top of the knightmare's head and sitting on it. He crossed his arms and put a pout on his face.

"No." Joseph said in tone of a child who refused to follow a parent's direction.

"Joseph!" Cornelia growled at him through gritted teeth in frustration. And her sour mood turned sourer when she heard Zero laugh.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! How about that! The great Goddess of Britannia who has had flawless victories in her military history, can't even discipline her own brother!" Zero chided her.

"Zero!" Cornelia growled at him, and slightly embarrassed that he had to see this.

"Still, I commend your courage for putting yourself in harm's way just to protect your sister, Prince Joseph. Might I introduce a proposition?" Zero asked him.

"Go on!" Joseph shouted out to him as he turned himself around to look at Zero's knightmare.

"Joseph, don't-" Cornelia tried to get him to not listen to Zero, but he waved her off.

"Hush, hush, Corn. Negotiating." Joseph told her offhandedly.

Cornelia sputtered her words in disbelief that she was actually having this conversation.

Meanwhile Kallen, couldn't help but laugh inside her knightmare as Cornelia was being pushed aside.

"Well, just a few seconds before you got here. I offered Cornelia the chance to get out of here unscathed if she surrender to me. Of course, knowing your sister, she stubbornly refused. However, I'm a patient man, so I happily extend that offer to you as well, what do you say?" Zero asked him in a professional manner.

_"If I could get them both out of here unscathed, it would be a win for everyone. Except for Cornelia's pride of course."_ Lelouch thought to himself

Joseph on his end thought about it for a moment. If he were to surrender them to Lelouch, he could continue his superhero endeavor and Cornelia would be safe from harm.

_"It would be a win for everyone, except for Cornelia's pride of course." _Joseph thought to himself.

Therefore, he jumped on top of the head of Cornelia's knightmare and held his hands up in the air.

"We surrenda!" Joseph yelled in a thick french accent.

"WHHHHAATT!" Cornelia exclaimed in rage and disbelief.

"Excellent! Perhaps you are the smartest one in the Britannia family after all." Zero teased.

"Why you!" Cornelia said enraged.

"Come now Cornelia, are you really going to put Joseph in danger to fuel your own pride?" Zero asked her.

That left Cornelia quiet.

Kallen was actually happy to see this happening. Because one, it became an easy victory for them, and two, she wouldn't have to hurt Joseph. While he was a prince of Britannia, he was still innocent in all this.

And maybe, _**just maybe**_, she was considering him to be a friend.

Cornelia on her end, was considering her options. She most certainly didn't want to surrender, but it was clear there was no way she was going to convince Joseph to reconsider otherwise. And the last thing she wanted was for him to get more hurt than he already has been over the years.

She was left with no choice.

She pushed her intercom button and was about to speak when suddenly they heard a rumbling.

"Huh?" Lelouch said to himself.

"What the?" Kallen said in confusion.

Then a crashing of rocks came from the side of the cliff and there was the Lancelot itself, holding the VARIS out, ready for combat.

"Viceroy,(Gasps) and Joseph! Are you two alright!? I came to help!" Suzaku asked them.

"Special Corp? Who authorized you?!" Cornelia demanded, not liking the fact that they were probably just saved by the Eleven that Joseph was friends with.

"Hey, Suzaku! How be?!" Joseph shouted to him as he waved his hand in greetings.

"It's him aga-Wait...did he just say...SUZAKU?!" Lelouch asked himself in shock.

"Suzaku? As in Suzaku Kururugi!? HE'S IN THAT KNIGHTMARE!?" Tamaki asked, also in shock and fury.

"I don't believe it..." Ohgi said in disbelief.

"Suzaku?" Kallen said to herself quietly, in utter shock that the one piloting that white knightmare from Shinjuku was her classmate and team member from the student council.

"Are you alright Joseph? As soon as I was authorized to launch, I came as quick as I can to look for you and Princess Cornelia." Suzaku told them as he readied his knightmare in front of them to protect them.

"Aww, thanks training buddy. But A-Ok! Already surrendered." Joseph told him casually.

"Huh? Surrendered?" Suzaku asked confused.

While Joseph was explaining to the confused Suzaku about their surrender, Lelouch was having his own battle in his mind.

_"It was him? This whole time since Shinjuku, he was piloting that knightmare? But...he's my best friend, but also my enemy!" _Lelouch thought to himself frantically, not sure what to do anymore.

Suddenly, Cornelia's knightmare grabbed Joseph, who shouted a "Hey!" and brought him in close to her. Now that she had backup, there was no reason to give up.

"There is no surrender! Fight the red knightmare, Kururugi!" Cornelia ordered.

"Hey, not cool Corn!" Joseph yelled, struggling to get out of the knightmare's grip.

"Yes, your majesty!" Suzaku said as he pointed the VARIS at Kallen's Guren.

Kallen barely reacted in time as she shielded herself from the gun's blast.

_"I don't want to hurt Suzaku but he's still an_ _enemy!"_ Kallen thought to herself as she dodged his attacks. "Zero, what are your orders! Zero!" Kallen shouted over her communications with Zero.

_"Damn_ it!" Lelouch thought to himself, realizing he had no choice.

"Mk-II, Disable that unit!" Zero ordered.

"Y-Yes!" Kallen obeyed. _"He didn't say __destroy, so I all have to do is make sure it ejects!" _Kallen thought to herself in relief.

"Your highness! You and Joseph get to someplace safe!" Suzaku told her as he battled the Guren.

While Cornelia didn't want to retreat, she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything with Joseph here.

"Fine! Take care of the 'Cherry Dynamite'! And then get Zero!" Cornelia ordered as she turned away.

"Who?" Suzaku asked confused.

"THE RED KNIGHTMARE!" Cornelia yelled back as she pushed Zero's group out of her way.

"No! Wanna see fight!" Joseph yelled.

"Zero, should we go after them?" Ohgi asked.

"No, help Q1 against Suzaku." Lelouch told them. _"Damn it! I was so close!"_

Suzaku had to admit, the knightmare was fast, and that claw was something to be avoided.

Kallen didn't expect Suzaku to be such a capable warrior either. The way he handled that gun and sword of his was flawless. Too bad she had to hold back.

_"Damn it Joseph, why couldn't you let me be __oblivious to who was piloting that thing!"_ Kallen thought to herself angrily.

She blocked a blast from the VARIS with her Radiant Wave Surger, however the shockwave made her fall off the cliff.

...

After finally gathering some distance away from the battlefield, Cornelia stopped her knightmare and put Joseph down.

"Guilford, I'm sending you coordinates of our location." Cornelia told Guilford on the screen.

"Understood Princess, we'll be there shortly." Guilford said on the screen before cutting communications.

"Not cool Corn! Was getting good!" Joseph told her in an unhappy mood.

"What the Hell is the matter with you! Charging into a battlefield like that with no protection at all!" Cornelia chided him as she exited her knightmare cockpit.

"Wanted to help! Big sister after all!" Joseph argued.

"I don't need your help! I could have and **_was_** handling it by myself!" Cornelia argued back.

"Then why Eup get to come?" Joseph asked.

"She **_asked _**like a person her age should, and she's perfectly safe in the G1, away from the danger. I mean, my God, she's more adult than you are!" Cornelia told him angrily.

"Can take care of self!" Joseph told her in annoyance.

"Right! That's why your body's mutilated and you've been living on the streets for the last seven and a half years! If your mother could see you-" Cornelia stopped herself, realizing she was starting to cross a line.

And based on the glare Joseph was giving her, she may have already stepped over it.

"...That's not fair of me to put her into a conversation like that. I apologize." Cornelia said quietly.

Joseph stared at her for a moment before nodding in understanding.

"Sorry for sneaking." Joseph said to her calmly.

"I already lost enough siblings Joseph, I don't need to lose another." Cornelia told him with sadness.

Joseph looked at her sympathetically and pulled her into a hug.

"Awwww, big softie Corn." Joseph said sweetly.

"Ha Ha, very funny. Don't think you're not trouble for coming here, we'll be discussing this once we're out of here." Cornelia lectured him.

"Yeah, yeah." Joseph waved off.

"By the way, why did you call that red knightmare, 'Cherry Dynamite'?" Cornelia asked curiously.

"Cause its DYN-NO-MITE! And(twitches) strawberry color." Joseph said to her with enthusiasm.

"...You mean cherry color?" Cornelia said, confused by wrong color and sudden twitch, Joseph has never done that.

"Yeah, (twitches)C-Clarie Merry." Joseph said, now confused himself.

He wasn't sure, but he felt this small sensation in his head, and it kept thumping at him, like a surge of electricity.

"Are you okay?" Cornelia asked, starting to get concerned.

"Uh yeah, A-(twitches)Aokie-Sjmokie..." Joseph said, his words starting to slur a bit. Blood was starting to come out of his nose.

Suddenly, the sensation became a wrecking ball of lighting strikes as he suddenly saw images flow past him in rapid speed.

He saw a kid Suzaku with his father.

Planets starting to collide.

A nun was praying.

Rows of children with symbols on their heads.

Silhouettes walking like they were dead.

And a mushroom cloud made out of skulls.

It was too much for Joseph's mind to comprehend. For he started to shake and convulse, his eyes rolled back into his skull and his nose bled rapidly.

"Joe!?" Cornelia said, now starting to get scared.

She went over to him, but then he started to fall over. And he said something she couldn't quite hear.

"Ragnarok..." Joseph said in a small voice.

To which he then he hit head.

**Hard**.

Specifically right where his stitches were, on Cornelia's knightmare, and then fell to the ground in a heap, unconscious.

"JOSEPH! Oh God!" Cornelia said. While she was starting to panic, she knew she had to keep her emotions in check if she was going to help her brother.

His head was starting to bleed faster than his nose.

Not taking any chances, she ripped her sleeve off and wrapped it around Joseph's head. She then put him on the knightmare's hand and got inside the cockpit.

She turned on communications and high-tailed out of there.

"Your highness, we're almost there!" Guilford said on the screen.

"Never mind that! Call a retreat! Have a doctor ready at the medical camp!" Cornelia ordered.

"Doctor? Is everything-" Guilford tried to ask, only to be interrupted by Cornelia.

"It's Joseph! He needs help!" Cornelia told him furiously.

"Right away your highness!" Guilford obeyed, not needing to hear anymore.

Cornelia looked down at the unconscious Joseph.

"Hang in there, little brother." Cornelia said quietly

...

"The Britannians are retreating?" Chiba asked, confused by this sudden action.

"Don't follow. Our only course of action is to get to the General and get him out of here." Tohdoh ordered.

"Yes Tohdoh!" The Four Holy Swords said together.

"Still, the way that Joseph guy ran passed us without a care in the world, talk about random." Asahina said.

"Certainly lives up to his name of being called the Dimwitted Prince." Chiba snarked.

"Chiba! Stay focus!" Tohdoh yelled at her, this surprised Chiba.

"Y-Yes sir!" Chiba replied, wondering what she did wrong.

Tohdoh on his end, just remained quiet, thinking about his old pupil.

...

A truck stops as they see someone on the road.

"Ughh… Another soldier." A scientist complained.

"No wonder our battalions fell apart." Another scientist agreed.

The pedestrian turned around to reveal himself to be Jeremiah. He was using to stick to hold himself up and was holding his hand over his left eye.

"I swear I'm not Orange. Zerooooooooooo!" Jeremiah yelled before he slipped into unconsciousness.

...

Suzaku was still shaking inside his cockpit, barely calmed down.

"What happened to him?" Euphemia asked concerned.

"We're not sure, but something spooked him good, that's for sure." Lloyd said.

Cecile tried to soothe Suzaku with words and shoulder rubbing.

Euphemia then heard her phone ring, it was Cornelia. She sighed in relief.

"Cornelia! Thank goodness you're alright! Is Joseph with you? How-...What?...Oh God..." Euphemia gasped, covering her mouth, eyes widening.

Lloyd, Cecile, and Suzaku noticed this.

"Is everything alright your majesty?" Suzaku asked her in quiet concern.

...

"Arrgh! I can't believe that stupid Suzaku is the one piloting the knightmare that's been giving us trouble since Shinjuku! Especially after we saved his life!" Tamaki complained.

"Technically, it was Zero, Kallen, and Ohgi who saved Suzaku." Sugiyama reminded him.

"Whatever!" Tamaki came back with.

"He does have a point though. Seeing how he combats in that knightmare is going to make things a lot more difficult for us in the future." Ohgi said.

"Didn't you once say Suzaku goes to the same school you go to, Kallen?" Yoshida asked.

"Uh, yeah." Kallen said, not liking where this conversation was going.

"Hey, that's it! We just get Kallen to lure that traitor to a secluded place and then take him out!" Tamaki suggested.

Before Kallen could react to that, Zero chimed in.

"No! No one will be doing such a thing!" Zero shouted, making his presence look intimidating.

"Huh! Why not!?" Tamaki questioned.

"Taking him down in the midst of battle is one thing! But killing him like a cornered rat with no defense is dishonorable! We would just legitimized people's claims that we are terrorists! If Suzaku wishes to continue fighting us, than we will give him everything we got! Until then, no one moves on him without my say so, am I clear?!" Zero questioned them, daring them to refute his statement.

They stare at him fearfully for a second, one by one they nodded.

Kallen was actually relieved, she knew how much the student council and Joseph(_wait, why did he pop into mind? Focus Kallen!_) cared for him and how devastated they be if he died by her hands. And to take him out while his back was turned to a person he trusted was cowardly, Zero taught her to be better than that.

Lelouch on his end just hoped he didn't have to cross that line with Suzaku, he didn't want to kill his friend, but he couldn't just stop his rebellion. He had to continue!

Still, after seeing those images from what C.C. did to him, it gave him a whole new perspective on why he is the way he is now.

_"Suzaku… I finally understand. Frankly, he's at odds with himself because he used to be different. He never placed any importance on another person. It was tough enough for me to kill my half-brother. If Suzaku killed his father when he was only ten years old, he's been carrying that burden around all these years?" _Lelouch thought to himself.

"Well hey, look on the bright side. We actually kept the Britannians on their toes this time, when was the last time we could say that?" Minami offered.

"Hey, yeah! We even had Cornelia running away scared from the battlefield!" Tamaki cheered.

"The only reason she ran was because of her brother, but imagine if that Suzaku hadn't arrived, we could have actually gotten her to surrender." Inoue said.

"Huh? You're actually glad he was there?" Tamaki questioned.

"I wouldn't say happy, but it's clear he was let the odds turn to our favor in that moment." Inoue reasoned.

"Yeah, but who's to say that he won't have the opposite effect next time? I swear, that kid does the most random things." Sugiyama said.

"Whatever the odds may have been, what matters is that we gained an upper hand today. Take this moment in stride, for it's only just the beginning, Japan will be ours once again!" Zero said to them with pride.

This made everyone cheer for him, for each other, because for once in their lives since the invasion, they felt like champions.

"Yeah, let's Eat The Horse!" One Black Knight soldier yelled.

Instantly, everyone stopped cheering and glared at the guy who said that.

A glare that said _"Never mention that again!"_

"...maybe not..." The soldier said in a small voice as shrunk away from the crowd.

_"(Sighs) That's never going to go away, is it?"_ Lelouch thought to himself in anguish.

Meanwhile, C.C. was hiding in the cockpit of Lelouch's knightmare. Not caring to present herself to the group, she had other matters on her mind.

_"When Lelouch touch me, I felt Joseph's presence there as well. There's no doubt about his aura..." _C.C. thought to herself as she just confirmed something in her head.

**Uh oh! What happened to Joseph?! Does it have to do with Geass? I guess we'll find out in later chapters! Anyway, the Black Knights(including Lelouch and Kallen) are now aware Suzaku is the Lancelot pilot much earlier than in Canon. How much that will affect later chapters will be remained to be seen. Also, minor spoilers, in the later chapters, I will giving more insight to Joseph's childhood and his upbringing. Probably not the next chapter, but most likely the one after that. Anyway, stay tune for more, and tell me what you think!**


	15. Love and Invites!

_Viceroy Palace - Meeting Room_

Cornelia gathered her Royal Guard with the bureaucrats of Area 11 to discuss the problems they were having.

"B-But, Prince Clovis instructed us. Ah, he said forcing them would fuel the rebellion giving the Chinese Federation an excuse to attack." The Vice-Minister said nervously.

"They've already got their excuse. Zero is growing stronger and bolder everyday." Cornelia chided him.

"Vice-Minister. Internal Affairs has appointed special group of the Elevens to self-govern this area, isn't that right? A group who are called the NAC." Darlton chimed in.

"Huh?" The Vice-Minister asked, not sure where this was going.

"When we stormed Narita, we looked for the evidence of the NAC's conspiracies. But it was buried in the landslide. Still our suspicions remain high. If we suppress them now…" Darlton explained.

"Hmm, a group of blue-bloods and plutocrats. Relics of their dismal past." Cornelia said with a bored tone, not surprised at all.

"Oh, wait! please! These are just rumors. There's no evidence of that at all. If you suppress them, then the Eleven's economy will certainly collapse. That means no tax revenue to send to the homeland. Also, it's a prime directive of the empire that Numbers should take care of their own kind." The Vice-Minister tried to reason as beads of sweat rolled down his skin.

"And what have you done to find the Black Knights?" Cornelia asked with accusing eyes.

"We analyzed the shield machine they left showing Zero was behind the Narita operation. But that's all we've got. You can't squeeze information out of corpses." The Vice-Minister told her.

"So you can't catch Zero and you don't want us to hit Kyoto. Do you know the word incompetent, minister? It's for people who can't get results. And if I don't start getting any by the end of this week, Zero's head won't be the only one that will roll. Dismissed, all of you!" Cornelia said, her patience wearing just about thin.

After they left, Cornelia approached Darlton and Guilford.

"We're leaving for the medical bay." Cornelia quietly told him.

"I understand, your highness." Darlton said quietly. Guilford followed silently.

...

_Viceroy Palace - Medical Bay_

Joseph was in his own private room at the medical bay, he had a bandage wrapped around his head where it was struck. He had a morphine drip and a heart monitor attached to him, his heartbeat rhythm had not changed in the last couple of days. Euphemia sat next to him as she quietly traced one of his scars on his arms. She put his coat and walkman, with a fresh new pair of batteries, on a chair next to him, knowing that as soon as he woke up, those would be the first things we would want back.

She herself had refused to leave his side the entire time, afraid he would wake up without her there. He already had so many days of waking up alone, he didn't need another.

She didn't move when she heard Cornelia walk in the room. She had a tray of soup in her hands.

"Any change?" Cornelia asked as she approached her sister.

"No, same as before." Euphemia said quietly, still tracing his scars.

"Have you eaten today?" Cornelia asked. Euphemia didn't respond.

She put the tray in Euphemia lap and sat down next to her.

"Starving yourself isn't going to help his condition, now please eat." Cornelia instructed softly but sternly, she didn't like to speak to her this way but she didn't want to start worrying about her sister's health too.

After a moment of hesitation, she grabbed the spoon and started to quietly sip the soup.

"Is there any news on the MRI?" Euphemia asked after a few moments.

"The doctor said we would have the results the day after tomorrow." Cornelia told her quietly.

"...He'll be okay, won't he sister?" Euphemia asked in a small voice, tears forming in her eyes. She lost enough siblings and she didn't think she could handle losing another.

"Of course he will. You know how stubborn he is, it'll take more than a head injury to keep him away from the world." Cornelia reassured her as she took her hand in support. Euphemia quietly nodded.

"...You know, this is probably the most relaxed I've ever seen him." Euphemia commented with a small smile. Cornelia chuckled.

"Indeed, always has a mountain full of energy to keep him going." Cornelia said as she brushed some of his hair.

...

_Ashford Academy - Student Council Room_

"Hmm… Um… H'm… Ha…" Shirley muttered to herself, looking at the tickets her father got for her, thinking about a lot of things. Not sure what to do.

Milly, had just about enough of her friend's babbling.

"OK. What's got you so worried. Constipated? Your monthly?" Milly asked bluntly.

"Huh? That's not it." Shirley said surprised and a bit embarrassed.

"Huh… You're lonely 'cause Lelouch is gone, aren't you?" Milly concluded, a smile creeping on her face.

"Wha… It's more like Kallen is absent the same day he is… again." Shirley said sadly

Oh, so carefree. While the rest of the world grapples with what happened at Narita. Suzaku's been out for two days because of that, too." Milly said in a carefree tone herself.

"I know that! But Lulu and Kallen gone on the same day together. That's serious." Shirley said in a worried tone.

Milly couldn't help but giggle at her friend's paranoia.

"I envy you, Shirley. That's what I love about you." Milly said happily.

"Don't make fun of me!" Shirley said on annoyance.

"Then just tell him already, like Joseph said, make a move. Say those three little words 'I like you!'. Milly insisted.

This made Shirley go red in the face

"Uh-Uh, I couldn't. I just couldn't. I mean what if…" Shirley stuttered out.

"What if he rejects me, it can ruin our great friendship." Milly mocked before bursting out in laughter.

"You don't have to laugh that hard, you know?" Shirley said quietly, a bit deflated.

"Oh relax, I'm just teasing. Right Nina?" Milly went for Nina's support, only to receive no response from her. She looked at her and saw a worried look on Nina's face.

"Nina?" Milly asked again, patting her shoulder this time. That seem to have gotten Nina's attention as she had looked up in surprise.

"Are you ok?" Shirley asked in concern.

"Oh, yes. Sorry, I was just thinking about what you said Shirley...about Lelouch, Suzaku, and even Kallen being gone. Well...the same can be said for Joseph too, I mean, we haven't seen him in the last few days." Nina said with concern.

"That is true, usually he would have come through the window by now expressing himself with one of his dances. Still, it's no surprise you would be worried about him, huh Nina?" Milly asked with a strange smile on her face.

"Huh?" Nina asked in confusion, not sure what she meant.

"What do you mean, Milly?" Shirley asked, also confused by that statement.

"Isn't it obvious, Shirley? Ever since we were saved by Joseph at the hotel-hijacking, Nina has been head over heels for him. Love at first sight!" Milly said romantically.

Shirley looked at Nina surprised while Nina started to blush real badly.

"Though I guess technically it was the third or fourth sight." Milly added on.

"Nina, is that true?" Shirley asked, now completely forgetting about her ordeal with Lelouch.

"U-Um...well..." Nina stuttered out nervously.

"You should see her Shirley, how her eyes gaze at him like a deer in headlights, how her face turns into cherry red whenever he waves at her or pats her on the head. She was practically oozing hormones when she danced with Joseph at our Roaring 20s Ball." Milly said all giddy.

"Milly!" Nina said in embarrassment, her face turning into the cherry red that Milly mentioned.

"Wow, you really do like him, don't you Nina?" Shirley asked in understanding. After all, she felt the same around Lelouch a lot of times.

"Well...it's just...when we were being held hostage at the hotel, I felt so scared and hopeless, my heart was beating so rapidly and I could barely breath, and when those eleven terrorist grabbed us, I honestly thought we were going to die. But then, when Joseph stood up and offered himself in our place, to protect us...I felt safe. For the first time in what felt like a long time, I truly felt safe...and when he gave that smile and thumbs up, I knew everything was going to okay. He may be odd, but for me...he's a knight in shining armor." Nina said with a small smile and hands together at her chest.

Milly and Shirley were surprised at Nina's statement, but then they had huge smiles on their faces.

"Nina, that's so sweet!" Shirley said excited.

"You should definitely say that to him the next time he's here." Milly said determined.

"Wha! No! I-I couldn't!" Nina stuttered out, freaked out by the suggestion.

"(Sighs) You and Shirley with your unreachable crushes. For her, it's a prince of her dreams, and for you, it's a literal prince. So, how do you feel about it on your side?" Milly asked the person who just entered the room.

That person happened to be Lelouch.

"Wha-Lulu?! I thought you were absent!" Shirley said startled.

"Nunnally had a little fever this morning and Sayoko was busy. So, I stayed home to help." Lelouch told her casually.

"Oh really, you don't say. So, is Nunna feeling better now? Shirley asked with concern, but also a small blush

"A bit. What were you guys talking about?" Lelouch asked curiously.

"Oh, just you and Joseph and-" Milly was explaining before Nina interrupted.

"CHESS!" Nina shouted, perhaps a bit too high than needed.

Lelouch looked at her in startled confusion.

"Huh?" Was all Lelouch could ask.

"Uh, yes! Chess! About whether or not you two played against each other. Haha, that's all." Shirley added on nervously.

"Oh, well, once actually." Lelouch told them.

That surprised the girls, not expecting him to say yes.

"Oh really? How did it go?" Shirley asked curiously.

Lelouch grimaced at that.

"Um..."

...

(Flashback)

_Aries Villa_

_A 9 year old Lelouch and a 13 year old Joseph sit together across each other with a chess board between them. Lelouch was on the black side, Joseph was on the white side._

_"Okay Joseph, I think it's time for you to be introduced to more advanced type of games. Now while Aunt Becky has helped you with your cultural thinking, I believe this will help you with your strategical thinking." Lelouch explained._

_"Like Battleship!" Joseph exclaimed._

_"Exactly. Except Battleship is more based on luck than anything else. Chess on the other hand requires using the skills of your mind, trying to predict your opponent's moves while also coming up with your own solutions. It's your job to outwit your opponent at their own game." Lelouch explained._

_"Coolio." Joseph said as he gave two thumbs up._

_"Alright, we'll do two out of three. The main objective is to capture your opponent's king(holds up his king for example), if you do that, you win, understand?" Lelouch asked, hoping Joseph would get it._

_"Okie Dokie." Joseph said in understanding, nodding his head._

_"Good. Now, because it's your first time, I'll let you go first. It's okay if you need to take awhile, it can be very-" Lelouch didn't get to finish explaining as suddenly, Joseph snatched his king from his side of the board._

_"I win!" Joseph exclaimed, holding the king up on victory._

_Lelouch looked at him confused for a moment, but then he realized his blunder._

_"No, no, no. T-that's now how you play." Lelouch told him. Which confused Joseph._

_"(Sighs) It's my fault, I should have demonstrated how the game works. You see, you're suppose to capture my king with your chess pieces. You have your pawns, that can only move straight forward one block at a time, your knight, that can move in an L shape. Your bishop, which moves diagonally as far as it wants to, your tower, that also moves straight forward but also as far as it wants to. And of course, your King and Queen, who can make any moves they want, except the king can only move one block like the pawns. Do you understand?" Lelouch asked as he demonstrated the pieces and the moves they make._

_Joseph stares blankly for a moment and until recognition comes across his face._

_"Ooooooooh. Got it." Joseph said in understanding._

_"Ok then, how about you try again." Lelouch said with a smile._

_Joseph thinks for a moment, then he suddenly grabs his Queen piece, and charges through Lelouch's pieces, knocking them off the board, including his king. This left a very confused and flabbergasted Lelouch._

_"Ha! Win again! Two out of three!" Joseph exclaimed happily._

_"B-but, that's not how-" Lelouch tried to explain, except he was interrupted by Nunnally, who entered the room._

_"Hey, Big brother Joe! Can I have a piggie-back ride?" Nunnally asked innocently._

_"Abso-toda-lutely!" Joseph enthusiastically. "Good game, Lelouch." He said to Lelouch before going over to Nunnally._

_"Wha-hold on!" Lelouch said, trying to get him to have a rematch. _

_But it was no use as Joseph picked up Nunnally and ran out of the room, both of them laughing._

_Leaving a frustrated Lelouch, who threw his black king over his head._

(Flashback End)

...

"Suffice to say, that was the last time I played that game with him." Lelouch said with a sigh.

The girls stare at him blankly for a second before bursting out into huge laughter. Lelouch was shocked to say the least.

"What!?" Lelouch asked, failing to see what was so funny.

"And here I thought no one could beat you at chess." Milly said, catching her breath and wiping a tear from her eye.

"Wha-he-he didn't beat me! He didn't even play it right!" Lelouch said, flabbergasted they were taking Joseph's side.

"Technically, you did say the Queen could make any moves it wants. It sounds like Joseph took advantage of that." Shirley explained, still giggling.

"Sounds like to me you're just a sore loser." Milly said with a teasing smile.

Lelouch grunted at that.

"Whatever. Those papers, _Madam president_?" Lelouch asked, now all moody

"All right. Make sure you organize all of them by year and class, OK?" Milly said in authoritative voice as she handed Lelouch the documents. "Not realizing" Shirley's tickets were on them.

"Yeah, I will. You have a talent for ordering people around." Lelouch said in a bored tone.

"He he. And you are a great subordinate." Milly teased.

"Subordinate? Huh, I guess that's what I am." Lelouch said.

After Lelouch left, Shirley and Nina breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh, madam president! You nearly gave me a heart attack doing that!" Shirley exclaimed in exasperation.

"Yeah. I don't want everybody to know I have a crush on a prince!" Nina said in fear.

"Ha ha! Oh, you girls are always so fun to mess with." Milly teased.

"Oh, where is my tickets?" Shirley asked, before she realized something.

The tickets happened to be on some documents, documents that Milly gave to Lelouch.

"AH!" Shirley exclaimed as she raced out the door to catch Lelouch.

Milly giggled while Nina looked on in surprise.

"You guys always make this place interesting." Milly said with happiness.

...

As Lelouch exited the building, Shirley was hot on his tail.

"Lulu!" Shirley practically screamed.

Lelouch turned around, startled by her sudden appearance.

"What is it?" Lelouch asked in concern.

Ah… Um…Is my dad's letter mixed up with that paperwork?" Shirley asked nervously.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Lelouch apologized as he gave the tickets back to Shirley, who kept shifting her feet. "Huh? What's wrong?" Lelouch asked.

Shirley thought about what Milly and Joseph told her.

"Um...Lulu?" Shirley asked nervously.

"Shirley?" Lelouch asked, wondering what was up with her.

"About these orchestra tickets. My dad works a really long away from here. But he likes to send me great stuff like this to keep my spirits up, you know?  
So, I was just wondering…if maybe...you would...like to go with me...?" Shirley asked really nervously, her face going red.

This surprised Lelouch.

"Uh, well..." Lelouch said, not sure what to say.

"You don't have to say anything now! If you decide to go, I'll see you there! Well, gotta go!" Shirley said rapidly as she shoved a ticket in Lelouch's hand and ran away like she was on fire. Leaving a very confused Lelouch.

"_Why would Shirley, just out of the blue...?_" Lelouch asked himself.

Meanwhile, C.C. watched the whole thing from Lelouch's room, and couldn't help but feel something she hadn't felt in a long time. Envy.

"Ah? Stop being so suspicious. That's hardly the case. To me, he is nothing more than a..."

As C.C argued with herself, a white-haired man watched from afar on top of a building. Wearing a visor and headphones.

...

Shirley caught her breath after she ran behind a building.

"I did it! I actually really did it! So, now what happens? He'll come, right? I mean he didn't say no. Then again…N-n, he is just coming with me to a little concert. So, it's not big thing but still it's a chance. Thank you, father." Shirley said to herself as conflicting emotions and thoughts passed through her head.

Suddenly she heard her phone ring, she took it out of her pocket and saw it was her father calling, talk about timing.

"Hi, dad!" Shirley said with glee as she answered the phone.

_"Hey Sweetie! How are you?"_ Mr. Fenette asked over the phone.

"I'm good! Thank you so much for the tickets!" Shirley told him with joy.

_"Oh, I'm glad you were able to get them. You're very welcome."_ Mr. Fenette said happily. But then an awkwardness started to build in his voice. _"...listen Shirley, I'm in a bit of situation."_

"Huh? What is it, father?" Shirley asked in concern.

...

_Kallen's Room_

_"_Kaa-san, could I ask you something?" Kallen asked Naomi.

Ever since Lelouch hired her, she's been roommates with Sayoko. When asked by others why she was always visiting her room, she just gave the excuse that Lelouch would hand her off to do some personal maid work for her. She didn't like lying about her mother like that but Naomi insisted that she do it, her friends may have been accepting but the same couldn't be guaranteed for the rest of the academy. She decided to go along with it, for now.

"Of course, what is it?" Naomi asked kindly.

And that's when it started to get awkward. Kallen cleared her throat.

"Well...let's say I have a friend..." Kallen started off with.

"Meaning you?" Naomi teased. Kallen's face went a bit red.

"Um..yeah...the thing is, well...I have these feelings...for someone I know...a guy" Kallen went on.

"Joseph?" Naomi asked surprised.

That's when Kallen's face went full red.

"Wha-KAA-SAN! NO! WHY WOULD YOU JUMP TO THAT CONCLUSION?! THAT WAS FAR FROM THE PERSON I WAS TALKING ABOUT!" Kallen said with high embarrassment.

Naomi couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's behavior.

"You said you had feelings for a guy you know. Lelouch is a nice boy, but far too serious, and you don't seem interested in him. Rivalz, the poor boy, is clearly trying to capture President Milly's heart. There's Suzaku, but you always seem to avoid him. Which just leaves Joseph, the odd, yet kind-hearted chap who happens to be real friendly with you." Naomi said sweetly.

"Yeah, because all we are is friends! That's it! Nothing more! I mean, come on kaa-san, me and a prince? It would never happen." Kallen said, pushing the idea _far_ away.

"I don't know, stranger things have happen." Naomi told her with chuckle. "So who is this _guy_ you do have feelings for?" She asked.

"Well, let's just say he's passionate, but also mysterious. Intimidating, but also understanding. He agrees with a lot of things I think about He's so cool but I feel like if I don't know what the right thing to say is. And it doesn't help that he may have someone _else_ in mind." Kallen told her awkwardly.

"Hmmm...well, it sounds like you have a crush on him. It's been years since those first meetings with your father, but one of the things you can do is just show him you care." Naomi told her.

That seem to do the trick, as Kallen felt a lot better after that.

"Yeah, ok, I'll do that. Thanks Kaa-san." Kallen said, hugging her mother.

"Of course dear. But just so know, sometimes the best things are right in front of you." Naomi told her in a wise motherly tone.

Kallen just rolled her eyes at her.

"It's never going to happen, and to be honest, I don't know he has those kind of feelings for people." Kallen told her.

...

_Sometime later_

_Black Knights Base_

"Kyoto praised us for using the Guren Mk-II so well. I thought that was encouraging." Ohgi said encouragingly.

"But there was Suzaku." Kallen said discouragingly.

Ever since she learned that he was the pilot of that white knightmare, she's been conflicted on how to feel about him. He's a friend at school yet he's enemy on the battlefield. He's Japanese yet he chooses to work for Britannia, she didn't know what to do.

But given what Zero said about only fighting him on the battlefield, she would make sure to show him no mercy. She's gone this far, she can't turn back now.

"Don't sweat it. It was a tie, right? A tie!" Tamaki reassured her while laughing.

Lelouch on his end, was having similar feelings about the whole thing. Suzaku was the first friend he ever had outside a few select members of his family. To not only be working for Britannia but to actually be fighting alongside them was completely asinine! Was it because of what happened with his father he chose this path?

Then there's what C.C. said. About using his Geass on him. He immediately put a stop to that suggestion.

He would NOT use his geass on his friends, ESPECIALLY his friends.

His thoughts were interrupted by Ohgi holding out a letter to him.

"Here." Ohgi said.

"Hmm? What's this?" Zero asked as he took the letter.

"A love letter." Ohgi told him with a smile.

"Oh? From you?" Zero joked.

"And they say you have no sense of humor." Tamaki laughed.

"You laugh too much." Kallen said annoyed.

"It's an official letter from Kyoto. They urgently request a meeting." Ohgi told him.

"Is this really such a big deal?" Zero asked in a putting off way.

"A big deal?! It's Kyoto!" Kallen exclaimed, surprised he had to tell him this.

"If they accept us it means funding and support. It could solve our financial crisis." Ohgi said before realizing the error of his sentence.

"Crisis? There shouldn't be any problem if you are following the budget I laid out." Zero lectured.

"Oh, well…" Ohgi nervously said, not sure what to say.

"Hey! It's not my fault! We're turning into a big organization now! That means new expenses, you know!" Tamaki explained.

"Like French dinners, for the new recruits so you can show off?" Kallen asked in accusation.

"Hey, you?!" Tamaki said angrily.

"I know where you've been taking them, big spender?" Kallen mocked.

"Uh-ugh?! You know about it?!" Tamaki said surprised.

"We'll put Ohgi in charge of the treasury for now." Zero ordered.

"Hold it right there! I'm the one that's in charge of the cash! That's my job!" Tamaki said angrily.

"If you want me to trust you then show me some results." Zero told him.

"Did you actually just say trust a guy who hides his face from his own partners?!" Tamaki said accusingly.

"Huh?" Sugiyama asked, the rest of the group was surprised at this statement as well.

"I mean first you let that moron prince come in here do whatever he wants and now that we learned that Kururugi traitor is working for Britannians, you don't want us to do anything to him! So the least you could do is let us see your face finally! How about it Zero, Huh?!" Tamaki demanded and accused.

The group looked at Zero, realizing Tamaki had a point.

"Hold on… That's a…" Ohgi tried to defend.

That's when Kallen stepped up.

"Zero is not the problem here. Who cares who he is? He had the skill to outwit Cornelia, didn't he? And he gave us plenty of good reasons for letting Prince Joseph be here and letting Suzaku live. That's why he is the leader of the Black Knights. Do you really need to know more?" Kallen asked in a defending tone.

Tamaki grunted at that.

...

_Student Council Room_

Nina was looking at a magazine that had a picture of Joseph dancing and cheering with a bunch of other people, likely his "Eat that Horse" mantra. Another was hugging his sister, Princess Euphemia, from behind and lifting her in the air.

She thought about how he patted her head, how he always showed her a kind smile. How she wanted him to reach down and do terrible, nasty-

"Nina? Is that you?" Nunnally asked in concern, appearing out of nowhere.

Nina quickly brings her skirt down and grabs the magazine she was "looking" at.

"If you are not feeling well, then-" Nunnally tried to say before Nina quickly walked past her.

"Oh no. It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Nina said quickly.

This left Nunnally confused, but she didn't push.

_"Still, what was that thumping I heard earlier?" _She asked herself

...

_Black Knights Base_

_"I've narrowed it down to twelve possibilities. Now let's see which bets pay off. For that I'll have to meet them face to face…"_ Lelouch thought to himself, planning his meeting with Kyoto as he looked through their photos.

He then heard a knock on his door.

"Hm? Who is it?" Lelouch asked.

"It's me. Um… I'm sorry if I was out of line when I spoke up back there." Kallen said nervously behind the door.

Lelouch thought in silence about something Joseph said, _"Need trust, give trust..."_

"Kallen, tell me. Do you wanna know my identity as well?" Lelouch asked her.

This surprised Kallen, and she thought about that green-haired girl who was with Lelouch in Narita.

_"That girl knows, doesn't she…? _Kallen thought to herself. "...No, sorry to bother you." She said as she left.

_"If I push too hard, he might reject me."_ Kallen thought to herself.

...

_Nunnally's Room_

Lelouch quietly enters Nunnally's room.

"Lelouch?" Nunnally quietly asked.

Lelouch was always surprised that she knew it was him.

"Looks like your fever's gone." Lelouch said with a smile.

"Maybe I was just a little moody." Nunnally told him quietly.

"Moody?" Lelouch asked.

"Um...It just seems to me lately that you've become a little distant like you have other things weighing on your mind." Nunnally said sadly.

Lelouch was surprised at that statement, it seems his sister was a bit more intuitive than he thought.

"Hm. Perhaps my body just did this on its own to get your attention." Nunnally deduced.

Lelouch took her hand in his.

"You're wrong. I haven't changed. No matter what, I'll always be at your side, Nunnally." Lelouch said to her quietly.

"So then, can I be a little selfish now? Please hold my hand just a little bit longer. If I fall asleep alone, I'm afraid I'll have that dream again." Nunnally said with a hint of fear.

Lelouch tighten his grip on her hand a bit, he knew what dream he was talking.

...

(Flashback)

_Last Night_

_"Lelouch!" Nunnally screamed from her bedroom._

_Lelouch ran to her room like there was no tomorrow._

_"Nunnally, what's wrong!?" Lelouch exclaimed, filled with worry for his sister, he saw Sayoko was already there by her side._

_"I'll go get her a glass of water." Sayoko said in reassurance as she left the room._

_Nunnally turned to him with tears coming down from her closed eyes._

_"It's terrible, Joseph's in trouble!" Nunnally said with concern._

_"Huh? What are you talking about?" Lelouch asked confused._

_"I had a dream that he was trapped in some dark, endless void, with no way of getting out. He tried to call for help, but no one could hear him, I tried to help him, but...I couldn't get to him..." Nunnally said sadly as she started to sob on Lelouch's chest._

_"It's okay, Nunnally. It was just a nightmare, I'm sure Joseph's fine." Lelouch reassured her as he brushed her hair._

_"But...it felt so real...I tried so hard to help him..." Nunnally said skeptically._

_"Don't worry, I'm sure Cornelia is just keeping him on tight leash at the moment. Give it a day or two, he'll be popping back in."_

_That seemed to do the trick as Nunnally finally calmed down and smiled at her brother. _

_"You're right, thank you brother, I needed to hear that." Nunnally said sweetly._

_Lelouch smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead._

(End Flashback)

...

Lelouch watched Nunnally fall asleep as he thought about Narita and Joseph's sudden appearance. It wasn't too surprising he wasn't here, considering Cornelia probably metaphorically gave him the belt for being there at all. Still, when has he ever done what people have told him to do?

_"Joseph, what are you up to?"_ Lelouch thought to himself.

...

_Next Day_

_Train Station _

Shirley and her mother were waiting at the train station, when she decided to dial Lelouch's number. Thankfully he picked up.

_"Hello? Shirley?" _Lelouch asked on the other line.

"Yeah, um…Listen, Lulu?" Shirley said awkwardly.

_"Huh?"_ Lelouch said, wondering what was up.

"I know I gave you an invite to the orchestra tonight, but unfortunately something came up, so I'll be little late." Shirley said sadly.

_"Oh, I see. Well-"_

"Of course if you can't show up yourself tonight, I completely understand! Just wanted to let you know, we can always reschedule if need be! Sorry! Ha Ha! Well goodbye!" Shirley quickly said as she ended the call before Lelouch could say anything.

She breathed an exasperated breath and then heard a stifled giggling from her mother.

"Mom! Don't laugh at me!" Shirley said, red with embarrassment.

"It's always so cute to see you get so frazzled about him. Honestly, you would feel a lot better if you just told him how you felt." Mrs. Fennette suggested in a motherly tone.

"Ugh, you sound like Milly." Shirley said defeated.

...

_Narita Mountains_

_Medical Base Camp_

"Severely damaged corpses should be brought to tent 2."

"Id personal items. Bring remains with identifiable faces to tent 1. Note locations and times."

"Medical team 2 will arrive. Transport personnel, report to tent 2."

Commands were shouted out as bodies were pulled out from the landslide Zero caused. Suzaku had other things on his mind as he thought about the green-haired girl from the capsule.

_"Was it really her? Did I really see her there? And then…"_ The image of his father came up again... _"Just forget it. She doesn't show up in any of the data." _ He told himself as he poured some water on his head. That's when Lloyd approached him.

"Dug enough bodies out of the landslide, yet?" Lloyd asked with his signature smirk.

Suzaku couldn't help but narrow his eyes a bit, sometimes Lloyd could be so insensitive.

"I'd like to continue recovery operation if that's possible." Suzaku said.

"Be my guest till it's out of your system. Consider it Princess Cornelia's pleasure to indulge you." Lloyd said in a somewhat joking matter.

"...Lloyd, Zero and the Black Knight...what are they trying to do? What do they hope to achieve by sacrificing all these lives?" Suzaku asked.

"They are knights for justice, haven't you heard?" Lloyd answered, as if it was obvious.

"Is this justice?" Suzaku asked in an angered tone, crushing the water bottle in his hand.

"Hey, hey, I hope you are not going to start spouting some embarrassing theory about the nature of justice. We are soldiers, after all." Lloyd said in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"DADDY!" A familiar voice yelled running through the base camp, Suzaku looked and saw who it was.

_"_Shirley?_"_ Suzaku asked himself, surprised to see her here.

"Joseph!" A woman not too far behind Shirley yelled, presumably Shirley's mother.

"There's my girls!" A middle aged man said, who Suzaku presumed was Shirley's father, as he met them halfway and engulfed them in a tight hug. Which they tearfully returned.

"Friends of yours?" Cecile asked as she approached Suzaku.

"Uh, yeah. She goes to my school." Suzaku told her, still confused why her family was here.

"Thank goodness you're safe, when Shirley told me you were in Narita, I assumed the worst." Mrs. Fenette said tearfully.

"I know, but it's okay. I'm right here. I think I might take a couple of weeks off to spend more time with you girls if that's okay." Mr. Fenette joked.

"I think we would all like that." Shirley said happily.

"Shirley?" Suzaku said as he approached them with Cecile and Lloyd.

"Oh, Suzaku. I heard you were here in Narita. It's good to see you're okay." Shirley said with relief.

"Thanks. Are these your parents?" Suzaku asked.

"Oh yes, sorry. Mom, dad, this is Suzaku Kururugi, he's on the Student Council with me at Ashford Academy." Shirley told them.

"A pleasure to meet you both." Suzaku said as he bowed to them.

"You as well, I was surprised when Shirley told us that a Japanese fellow was going to her school. But you seem like a good chap to me." Mr. Fenette said happily. Mrs. Fenette nodded in agreement.

"Um, thank you." Suzaku said with surprise, but with a small smile on his face. "Oh, this is Cecile Croomly and Lloyd Asplund. They're the people I work with in the military.

"Nice to meet you." Cecile said with a small smile and curtsy.

"Charmed." Lloyd said with a simple wave.

"Forgive my intrusion, but what exactly are you guys doing here?" Suzaku asked.

"I had a close brush with death, that's what. I was almost part of that landslide that buried the town I was in." Mr. Fenette said with panic in his voice.

This surprised Suzaku and his group.

"Really? How on Earth did you get out of there?" Suzaku asked.

"You're not going to believe it, but it was actually Joseph who saved him!" Shirley told him gleefully.

This shocked Suzaku and his group.

"Joseph? Prince Joseph?!" Cecile asked, reeling from said shock.

"My, my, that boy is just a box full of surprises, isn't he?" Lloyd said with a smirk.

"Yeah! He just showed up out of nowhere and hightailed us out of there! Talk about being in the right place at the wrong time." Mr. Fenette said with glee.

Suzaku knew that Joseph saved someone from the landslide Zero caused, but he had no idea it was Shirley's father.

"Is he here by any chance, Suzaku? I have to give him the biggest hug possible!" Shirley said enthusiastically.

"Yes, we would love to show him our gratitude." Mrs. Fenette added on happily.

That's when Suzaku and Cecile both had a look of sadness put on their faces.

This confused Shirley and her parents.

"Suzaku? What is it?" Shirley asked with concern.

"Shirley...there's something you should know." Suzaku said with guilt.

...

_Mt. Fuji_

"You..." A shocked Kirihara, one of the six houses of Kyoto, said.

"It's been a long time, Lord Kirihara." Lelouch said nostalgically, without his mask on.

"Is it really you? It's eight years since I finally received you as a hostage." Kirihara said nostalgically.

"Yes. And I appreciate you taking care of us then." Lelouch said with gratitude, remembering when he and Nunnally were taken in by the Kururugi shrine.

"If I hadn't come tonight, were you planning to take our messengers as hostages?" Kirihara asked.

"Not at all. I came to ask for your help. That's all I'm seeking from you." Lelouch told him truthfully.

"So the flower planted eight years ago has finally bloomed." Kirihara said with sly grin, and then he laughed manically.

The others in Lelouch's group were wondering what was going on, as they couldn't see from the distance.

"I can't see him!" Tamaki complained, he tried to move closer but Kallen stopped him.

"Ohgi!" Kirihara yelled.

"Yes!" Ohgi said, standing at attention.

"This man is a true model enemy of Britannia. His face must remain hidden for vital reasons. I urge you to follow Zero. And I guarantee that if you do, we will assist you generously with intelligence and strategic support." Kirihara told them with wisdom.

That seem to calm the nerves of Lelouch's group.

"We thank you." Ohgi said with relief

"I am grateful, Lord Kirihara." Lelouch told him, glad that was one obstacle out of the way.

"Are you embarking on the path of blood?" Kirihara asked, already knowing the answer.

"Indeed, if that is my destiny." Lelouch told him with a sly grin before putting his mask back on.

...

_That night..._

_Tokyo Settlement_

It was lightly raining outside when Lelouch finally made it to the place the orchestra was being held at.

_"Damn, I'm later than I thought, hopefully Shirley won't be too mad. Anyway, things are finally moving forward. __Now the Black Knights will operate as I envisioned."_ Lelouch thought to himself.

"Lelouch!" Shirley called over to him from a distance, waving at him. He ran up to her.

"I'm sorry I was late. My errands went on longer than I thought." Lelouch said apologetically

"It's okay, I just got here a few minutes ago myself." Shirley said embarrassingly.

"Guess we should have planned our schedules better." Lelouch said jokingly.

"Hehe, yeah." Shirley said with a blush and smile.

"Well, the concert is probably halfway over by now. Do you just want to go somewhere to get out of this rain?"

"I like the sound of that." Shirley agreed happily. "But Lelouch, before we go, there's something I need to tell you." She said as sadness took over her voice.

"Hmm, what is it Shirley?" Lelouch asked with concern.

Shirley took Lelouch's hand in her own and looked at him with sad eyes.

"It's Joseph...he's in a coma." Shirley told him.

_To be Continued._

**Not too much to say on this one, I just wanted to show what a chess match was like between Lelouch and Joseph, as well have the student council be more aware of Nina's "crush" on Joseph. Next chapter will be focusing a lot more on his past more, and tell me what you think.**


	16. Flashback!: Beginnings!

_Pendragon - 1996_

_Hospital_

Rebecca Du Britannia(Rebecca Donnelly as she used to be called 7 months previously) groaned in pain as she was rushed into emergency room, her guards following not too far behind. She dealt with a lot of things before, none of them ever caused stupor in her thinking, not even when she "convinced" good old Charles to give her a child.

But right now, she was definitely scared.

"Your highness, we're going to need to do an emergency C-section." A surgeon told her calmly.

"No! It's too early!" Rebecca said angrily to hide her fear.

"Your highness, if we don't do this now, both you and **your child **could die." The surgeon said in a stern tone.

The guards were ready to reprimand the surgeon for his tone but Rebecca held her hand up to signal in stopping them, knowing this is what she needed to hear.

"Do we have your consent?" The surgeon asked, less stern and more gentle tone, knowing how important a situation like this was for a mother.

"...Yes...please, save my son." Rebecca said with a pleading tone, now dropping the anger as she rubbed her stomach.

...

Rebecca stared at her son in worry, sadness, confusion and every other word of emotion she could conjure up in her head as she watched his tiny chest go up and down. An air tube was around his mouth, helping him breath, and his tiny eyes were squinted close. He looked so helpless and all she could do was look at him through layered glass with holes in it, as if she was forbidden to touch him.

_"My little Joe..."_ Rebecca said in her head, a tear escaping her eye.

Charles didn't come or send any type of word, not surprising, probably too busy having a stick up his ass.

"Would you like to hear some music, honey?" She asked her tiny angel quietly as she brought out her walkman and played "Love Will Never Do".

It was hard to tell, but the way he moved his arms up and down seem to give off an impression that his little mind liked it.

"Yep, you're definitely my son." Rebecca commented with a smile.

She barely registered the doctor come in.

"Um, your highness, if could turn off the music, that would be good. We have employees here who can't be distracted." The doctor told her in an indifferent type of tone. The kind of tone that made Rebecca want to smack the guy across the room.

But, she complied and pushed the stop button on her walkman.

"Sorry, do you have any news about my son?" Rebecca asked calmly.

"Well, we ran the tests and it doesn't seem your son's lungs will be healing anytime soon. I would say he has at least, give or take, three weeks left." The doctor said in a very not sorry tone.

This pissed off Rebecca to no end.

"Is this bedside manner part of your personality, or do you get paid extra for it?" Rebecca asked sarcastically.

"Your highness, my job is to display the facts as is. I apologize if they upset you, but I can't change them. Besides, this is probably for the best." The doctor told her bluntly.

She was reaching her limit with him.

"How so?" Rebecca asked in an outward calm, but inward furious, manner.

"Well think about it, you know how the world of Royalty and Nobility works, if your son were to survive, he would most likely have to deal with the blunt of it. Honestly, this early death of his is probably a blessing in dis-"

*WHACK!*

The doctor's face was met with an oxygen tank, swung by Rebecca. He clutched his broken nose, groaning in pain, only for the oxygen tank to meet his groin this time.

"I would probably have that checked out, and make sure to get a doctor like you, I'm sure you guys would get along great." Rebecca said in a sweet tone, before pushing her son and the ventilator he was in, out of the room. "Come on, son. Let's go find a second opinion for you." She said in a motherly tone, making the child wave his arms in happiness, from her perspective anyway.

...

_2 weeks later_

_Pendragon - Ball Room_

Rebecca was the main topic of gossip when they heard they took her son out of the hospital to go on some manhunt for a cure of her son's condition. Some called her courageous, but the majority called her outright crazy. Saying it was a waste of money and travel, especially for a lost cause.

"It's been a couple of weeks now, think the kid's dead?" A noble asked.

"If not, he certainly will be soon. I always thought that Rebecca was a mad woman, always acting like a mad dog without a leash. Maybe her son dying will finally shut her up." A noble woman commented with a sneer.

"Hm, indeed." The man chuckled.

Nearby, a six years old Cornelia wanted to get away from said nobles before she threw food at them in disgust.

_"Why are adults such jerks!?"_ Cornelia thought to herself in annoyance.

"Feeling troubled, dear sister?" An eight year old Schneizel asked approaching her.

"I hate parties." Cornelia said quietly. Schneizel couldn't help but chuckle.

"I admit, you do often get the savoriest type of people here." Schneizel commented.

"...Schneizel, do you think they're right? That what Aunt Rebecca is trying to do for her son is just a lost cause?" Cornelia asked with sadness and a bit of fear.

She cared for Aunt Rebecca and didn't want her new brother to die, but from what everyone has been saying, it really didn't seem like he was going to get better. Schneizel looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Well, as much as I care for Lady Rebecca and her son, I think we have to brace for a funeral soon." Schneizel told her sadly.

Cornelia looked down in sadness, hating the fact she had to lose a sibling like this.

But then she heard a faint sound coming from behind the doors.

"Is that music?" Cornelia asked.

*BAM!*

The doors were suddenly kicked wide open, shocking the nobles and the royal children there.

The one to kick them was none other than Rebecca Du Britannia, in what appeared to be a hiker's outfit, with her walkman playing at high volume. In her hand was an oxygen tank and on her chest was a baby carrier that was holding a **healthy **looking baby, who was giggling with joy.

To say everyone was shocked was an understatement.

_Baby I've been thinking 'bout_

_Running away from you_

_After all you said in town,_

_Don't wanna stay with you_

She whistled to the beat as she swung the canister around in a circle. She gave an occasion wave and hello to the nobles she walked past by, all with their mouths agape at what they were witnessing. She eventually came to a stop by a cake on one of the tables, she turned down her music.

"Would little Joe like some cake?" She asked her son in a playful manner, to which he replied with a happy wave of arms and giggling. "I knew you would." Rebecca said with a cute tone.

She threw the canister behind her, not realizing it hit the noble woman who was talking about her son on the head. Effectively knocking her out.

She was soon approached by a flabbergasted Cornelia and an intrigued Schneizel.

"Aunt Rebecca?" Cornelia asked in shock.

"Oh hey! Good to see you Cornelia. You as well Schneizel." Rebecca said as she ruffled their hair, then she kneeled down to get to their level.

"I want you to officially meet your new little brother, Joseph Du Britannia." She said gently as she took him out of the carrier and into her arms. "Joe, this is your older brother and sister. Cornelia and Schneizel." She extended him towards them.

Cornelia was a bit trepidatious, fearing that if she were to touch him, the illusion of this healthy baby would be broken. Rebecca just chuckled.

"It's okay, he already survived through hell and back. What you do won't make it any worse." Rebecca said with gentle reassurance.

Cornelia nodded and slowly extended her hand towards Joseph, who gleefully grabbed her finger with his little hand, giggling an innocent giggle while doing so.

Cornelia's heart couldn't help but melt at her new little brother's action. She now knew for sure this was real, and that he was ok.

"Hi, Joseph. I'm your big sister, we're going to have a lot of fun together." Cornelia said gleefully.

"I must say this surprising to say the least, Lady Rebecca. How on Earth did you do it?" Schneizel asked with curiosity. Rebecca just smirked.

"Now, now. If I were to tell you, it would ruin the mystery, wouldn't it?" Rebecca said with a knowing tone.

This confused Schneizel, but he decided not to push.

"Amazing! He looks healthy as a horse." A noble whispered.

"How on Earth did she do it? New medicine?" Another asked.

"Could be she was so desperate to have a healthy child, she grabbed a new one." Another suggested.

"Shhh! Don't say such things!" Another told.

"Whatever the case, it's certainly a miracle." Another concluded.

...

_Couple of days later_

_Hospital_

Rebecca held a happy Joseph in her lap as she moved his arms up and down while singing a tune to him.

_I'm pickin' up good vibrations_

_She's giving me excitations (Oom bop bop)_

He laughed all the way through.

Soon enough a doctor came in, amused by the mother/son action.

"How's the little guy doing?" The doctor asked.

"He's a little ray of sunshine. Yes you are, Oh yes you are." Rebecca said in a playful tone as she snuggled Joseph against her chest, who giggled in delight.

The doctor chuckled.

"Well, I'll start with the good news. Tests have shown that your son is perfectly healthy, lungs are clear and is in good physical shape for his age." The doctor started off happily.

Rebecca was glad to hear this, and not to get a doctor who had an ego the size of the universe. However...

"I'm guessing there's bad news too." Rebecca commented with concern.

The doctor turned more serious, he took out a transparent image from a folder he was holding and put it on a board. It looked to be a picture of a brain, with all sections covered in white.

"You see this? This is an MRI scan of a healthy baby brain, all sections are functioning perfectly." The doctor told her professionally.

He then took out another MRI scan of a brain, this time, only half the sections of the brain were light up.

"This is an MRI scan we did of your son's brain. As you can see, because of the time off the ventilator..." The doctor started off with.

"Half of his brain is dead." Rebecca finished for him with a sad tone in his voice. _"I guess it wasn't able to fix __everything..." _

"His development section is still intact but everything in the verbal section is unfortunately not active at all. If he is able to speak, it most likely won't be until a long period of time, and it's a good chance he'll have trouble speaking in complete sentences." The doctor told her sympathetically.

Rebecca thought about what he said.

"Your highness, when I heard that you took your son out of the hospital to find a way to cure his lungs, I was one of the many naysayers who didn't believe you were going to find anything. But I was proven wrong, and now here your son is, looking better than ever. There will be some bumps on the road ahead, but I'm sure if anyone can pull him through it, it's you. And no matter what people say, don't ever regret saving your son's life." The doctor told her in reassurance.

"...Well of course, sir. I wouldn't have it any other way." Rebecca told him with a knowing smile.

...

If two words could describe Joseph in his first years of youth...

It would be Happy and Curious.

He never cried, not when he was hungry, not when he needed to burp, not even if he fell down by accident. He would always have the same dopey smile and giggle, never being a bother to anyone. Some would try to tear them down, but Rebecca always came back 10 times harder. Including a time when she sent Guinevere's mother on a fast, roaring river while she was still in bed after she made a remark about "comparing retards to brain dead mules." Somewhere along the way, most people knew they just needed to keep their mouths shut.

Joseph always looked at things with wonder and amazement too, everything was a new experience for him, and he enjoyed every moment of it. His mother would often wake him up early enough where they would watch the sun rise together, and then she would teach him his alphabet, go through words in the dictionary, sounded them out to him, and what explained they meant. She knew he wasn't able to speak it yet, but she wanted to make sure he would retain it for future use, but she wasn't going to push him to try talking either, he was still just a baby after all, he would start talking when he felt he was ready. Instead, she taught him hand gestures, such as a thumbs up to show that you're okay or you did a good job, and a wave to show that it means hi and goodbye, and of course, the middle finger to show that you don't like a person.

Cornelia was helpful too, coming over whenever she could to either babysit or just play with her little brother, help tie his shoes, and stand up straight. But often he would drive her crazy with his babyish antics, always making her chase him around the house, getting into food fights with her, and pulling her hair whenever she gave him a piggyback ride, but at the end of the day they were just happy to have fun.

...

_Pendragon - 1999_

_Ball Room_

Marianne walked around the ball room, analyzing her surroundings and hearing the whispers of the nobles around her.

"Commoner whore."

"Not worthy to be here."

"What does the emperor see in her?"

She heard it all before and she couldn't care less. It all eventually wouldn't matter anyway, not what Charles and his brother had cooking up.

"Mary!" She heard someone yell out her name.

She turned and saw it was Rebecca Du Britannia walking towards her, carrying her son in tow.

Marianne couldn't help but smile at the woman, as she actually held some respect for her. Like herself, she was often chastised by other for her personality and choices, especially when it came to the condition for son. While Marianne thought she was a bit unhinged, Joseph was a harmless little guy who grew up in a rotten place, but Rebecca made sure it didn't deter their happiness, and that was something to admire.

"Becky! It's been awhile." Marianne said the two women shared a kiss on the cheek. "And how are you wittle Joe!" She asked in a baby voice as she shook his tiny hand.

He waved happily, and then pointed at Rebecca and said "Mom!"

Rebecca and Marianne giggled at that.

"Still on that one word, huh?" Marianne asked with a smirk.

"It's the one word that counts!" Rebecca said gleefully with a huge smile.

"Of course!" Marianne agreed happily, sharing another giggle.

"So, how's the pig-infested slums of Britannia treating you?" Rebecca asked in a casual manner.

"Oh you know, an insult here, an accusation there. Same old, same old." Marianne said casually.

"Indeed. But man, are they fun to mess with." Rebecca said with an evil smirk.

This got Marianne's attention, as she put on her own evil smirk.

"What did you do?" Marianne asked in a knowing tone.

"YOU!" A female voice shouted, capturing everyone's attention.

The voice it belonged to was one of the Emperor's consorts, Gabriella La Britannia. She was currently dealing with a lost of hair, some still on her scalp, but a lot of it missing. It also appeared to be multi-colored.

"Oh wow." Marianne said as she started to laugh.

"Gabby. How are you?" Rebecca asked casually, her son also laughing at Gabriella's appearance.

"YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW I AM FEELING YOU DIABOLICAL BITCH!" Gabriella exclaimed, shocking everyone besides Rebecca, Joseph, and Marianne. Gabriella never yelled or used such foul language before, so a line was definitely crossed this time.

"Why Gabby, I have no idea what you mean." Rebecca said playfully.

"You switched my shampoos and conditioners with Nair mixed with food coloring, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN!" Gabriella said angrily.

"Gab, if you mix up your hair care products, I don't see how that's my fault. And for all we know, anybody here could have done it, anybody who has a problem with people saying to others that 'brain dead kids aren't even worth being furniture." Rebecca said, her tone becoming more serious.

"You listen to me, you smug c***! I don't care if you're a consort, I will make you pay for this. (She then points at Joseph) You and that-" Gabriella didn't get to finish her threat, as her mouth was suddenly grabbed by Rebecca in a painfully tight grip, tight enough that her nails started to dig into Gabriella's cheeks.

"Joe, honey, how about you go stand next to your Aunt Mary, huh?" Rebecca said in a motherly tone as she put Joseph down, who in return, gave her smile and thumbs up.

"Here what's going to happen, Gabby. In the next 20 seconds, I'm going to let go of your cheeks. Within that time, you need to think about what you're going to say. Because your next sentence, will determine whether or not you die a painful death by night's on end. And trust me. Every. Single. Molecule, in your body will endure agony." Rebecca said in a calm tone with a demented look on her face.

Everyone was nerve-wracked to say the least, most of them only heard of Rebecca's demented stature, but actually seeing it was a whole different level of fear. Even Marianne was a bit unnerved by it, now really glad she was friends with her. Rebecca let go of the traumatized Gabriella.

"So, what is it you wanted to say Gabby?" Rebecca asked in a casual tone.

Gabriella on her end, she stood there for a moment, completely frozen in fear, until she found the tiniest courage to say:

"Nothing...nothing at all...please carry on with your night." Was Gabriella could say as she quickly walked away.

"Of course, have a good night." Rebecca said with a smile and wave, Joseph waved goodbye too.

"I think you made her shit herself." Marianne said with a chuckle.

"Heh, hopefully she can return that dress of hers." Rebecca added. "So, how's Charles? Still grunting around in his throne room?" Rebecca asked jokingly.

"Well you know how he is, all grump and no giddy. I do have news though, he finally put one in me." Marianne said happily as she rubbed her belly.

"(Gasps) Oh, Mary! Congratulations!" Rebecca exclaimed happily as she gave Marianne a big hug, Joseph joined in by hugging her leg. "Hear that, Joe? You're going to have a little sibling!" Rebecca exclaimed gleefully as she lifted Joseph in the air, who laughed joyfully.

And that was only the beginning of his adventures.

_To Be Continued..._

**So this one came out a lot faster than I thought it would, not that I'm complaining Here, I finally got to show a lot more of Rebecca's personality, who is basically a yandere, as well as how she influenced Joseph later in his life, and the friendship she had with Marianne. There should be two more parts before I go back to present day. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, comment and let me know what you think.**


	17. Flashback!: Road Trip!

_Another thing that Rebecca made sure Joseph got plenty of was television and films. She believed that storytelling helped people make sense of things that go on in the world, why some people do the things they do. Plus, they can help inspire people to do great things as well, and she wanted to make sure her son was ultra-inspired._

_She also made sure he was up to date with music history, she would take her walkman, play a song for him, and give all sorts of details about it. Who the artist was, when it was made, the intrepretation of the lyrics, etc. After all, someone who knows music was intelligence in its own right._

_And Joe took it all in awe. He watched in wonder and amazement as a rabbit was able to trick a duck into being shot, not only on one occasion, but three! He couldn't take his eyes off a lead singer as he moved around on the stage with so much energy in passion, love, and flamboyance and sang with the voice of a goddess at this concert that was meant to help people in Africa. And he couldn't contain his excitement as he watched the barefoot man courageously make his way back to his wife, one bad guy at a time._

_There was so much going on in just this tiny screen, and Joseph wanted to be a part of all of it!_

...

When Joseph first heard the word "sibling", he didn't know what it meant at first. His mother explained his family was full of them, his big sister Cornelia for example. He could see from what Cornelia did with him, that being a sibling was to take care for one another, to help them learn new things, and just to bring annoyance into their lives, his mother said that last one was important.

And when she took him to meet his new little brother, Lelouch, he realized now he was going to have Cornelia's job as an older sibling and he knew he couldn't do a bad job either.

So whenever his mother volunteered to look after Lelouch when Marianne needed to be away on business, he made sure to help change his diapers, make him laugh, and teach him things about the world. Such as pointing up and saying "up", "ceiling", and "sky", for it was important to know all the basis what of what was above you. Often he would carry him around the house like a ride at the carnival, wanting him to have fun.

He would do the same when Euphemia was born, as well as Nunnally. Always making sure he was present in their lives in any way possible, whether it be normal or wacky.

As they got older, Lelouch, Euphemia, and Nunnally(to a lesser extent) realized that their brother wasn't like other people and why he and his mother were often scorned by others when they weren't in the same room with most other people. They didn't care though, they loved their big brother, Nunnally said it just made him all the more special and fun in the family. For Lelouch, he felt like it was his responsibility to make sure his brother didn't get into trouble and that nobody bullied him, even if Joseph didn't care. Same could be said with Euphemia, though unlike Lelouch, she often got mixed up with his shenanigans with glee, like when they filled Cornelia's blowdryer with flour, making her take a shower all over again.

Like his mother, they helped Joseph piece sentences together to better authenticate his statements and questions. With that, Joseph told his siblings stories, usually stories from films or tv shows he watched, but he did so with theatrics and dramatization that made him entertaining to watch.

There was some things that Joseph had trouble understanding though, once he asked his mother:

"Why people hate me?"

This surprised Rebecca, he never seemed bother by it before. And honestly, he wasn't, it was out more curiosity. After all, he never did anything to provoke people to hate him, so why is it they do so?

Rebecca kneeled to his eye level as she smiled sadly at him.

"Because people like them have been raised to hate people like you." Rebecca told him sadly.

"Like me?" Joseph asked, still not understanding.

"People who are different from them, people who don't meet their standards of perfect."

"Not perfect?" Joseph asked.

"Honey, if there's any advice I would want you to remember till the end of time, it's that nobody's perfect, not even your dear old mother, and especially not those snobs you meet at parties." Rebecca told him in a lecturing tone.

"So, why call selves that?" Joseph asked.

"You can pass that buck to your father. He likes to cram the idea into the people's head that the strong prevail while the weak stay behind, and those people like to believe they're part of the strong." Rebecca explained.

"...Dad not like people." Joseph said sadly, more of a statement than a question.

"...No, I don't think he does." Rebecca told him in sadness as well, sad that she had to say that to her son, but it's better he knew the reality of the situation.

"...Are Lelouch and Nunna weak?" Joseph asked.

"Why would you ask that?" Rebecca asked, curious by the sudden question.

"Hear things. 'Not deserve to be here.' 'Stupid commoners.' What is commoner?" Joseph asked, always hearing that word but never knowing what it meant.

"Commoners is a term people use for people who aren't born from noble or royal blood. Your aunt Marianne was a commoner who rose through the ranks to become a Knight of the Round and eventually a wife to your father. So that technically makes your siblings, half-commoners." Rebecca explained.

Joseph looked down, conflicted. He was having trouble understanding it all. To him, that seemed like a pretty dumb reason to hate his siblings and Aunt Mary for. So Rebecca decided to simplify it for him

"Let me ask **you **something. Knowing all this now, do you hate yourself?" Rebecca asked.

Joseph thought about it for a moment.

"Nope." Joseph said simply.

"Do you hate your siblings?"

"Nope."

"Do you hate me?"

"Never ever!" Joseph said, this time with determination. Rebecca chuckled at that.

"And you know why that is?" Rebecca asked, placing the palm of her hand on the left part of his chest. "It's because you have a good heart, and that is where true strength lies. If you believe something is right, you follow it. if you think it's wrong, stand against it. Okay?" She finished.

Joseph looked at his mother in awe, than he looked down at his chest and clutch her hand that still laid at his heart.

"Also-toda-lutely!" Joseph said proud and determined.

Thus, learning about this, he would protect Lelouch and Nunnally when people picked on them as well, and it would be at the age of 12, he would learn how to properly do so.

...

_Pendragon - 2008_

"Honestly, I don't know know why father bothers to have you two around, being the children of a commoner whore!" Cassius insulted to an angry 8-year old Lelouch and scared 6-year old Nunnally, hiding behind Lelouch with tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Don't you dare insult our mother!" Lelouch yelled back, not happy that him and sister were being harassed **again **for their heritage. It made it even worse when it came from one of their own siblings.

"I'll do whatever I want! You can't always rely on your mommy to save you, you little sh-OW!" Cassius didn't get to finish his statement as he felt a sharp pain coming from his rear end.

"What in the?" Cassius questioned when he saw what the source of the pain was.

It was Joseph, biting Cassius' butt while growling like a dog.

"Of all the, GET OFF!" Cassius yelled as he moved around in circles while trying to pry Joseph off of him. Who in return held his teeth tightly onto his bottom.

Lelouch and Nunnally were surprised by this at first, but then Nunnally started to giggle.

"Joe makes a funny dog, Lelouch." Nunnally giggled, forgetting about how scared she was a moment ago. This in return, made Lelouch laugh, happy to see his sister wasn't afraid anymore.

"Yeah, he really does." Lelouch said as he and Nunnally started laughing at Cassius' predicament.

"Let go of me!" Cassius yelled as he finally pulled Joseph off of him and pushed him head first into the wall.

"Joseph!", "Big brother!" Lelouch and Nunnally cried in concern as they rushed over to Joseph, who was bleeding from the top of his head, but also had a piece of Cassius' pants in his mouth.

"Stupid idiot! You know how much I paid for these pants!" Cassius exclaimed angrily.

"Cassius, he's bleeding!" Lelouch also exclaimed angrily seeing how their brother got hurt trying to defend them.

"You big meany!" Nunnally said with a cute angry pout.

Cassius glared at them.

"Well maybe he should-"

"Should what?" A cold voice asked behind him, freezing Cassius in his place with fear.

He turned around and saw a pair of hawk eyes staring at him.

"Hi mom." Joseph said casually as he pulled the fabric out of his mouth.

"Hi Auntie Becky!" Nunnally said with glee.

"Lady Rebecca." Lelouch said with a small smile and curtsy, grinning wickedly on the inside.

"Lelouch dear, I told you, call me Aunt Becky." Rebecca told him sweetly.

"Of course, I just like to say it out of respect." Lelouch said well-mannered.

"Oh, you are such a gentleman." Rebecca said kindly.

"L-L-Lady R-Rebecca..." Cassius stuttered fearfully.

"Hello Cassius. Tell me, what should have my son done to prevent himself from laying against the wall with a head injury?" Rebecca asked, switching back to her cold, emotionless voice.

Cassius started to sweat bullets, knowing if he said the wrong thing, he would be dead.

"Well I...Wh-wha-what I meant was that, uh...he should...learn to use his hands instead of his mouth." Cassius stuttered nervously.

Lelouch and Nunnally looked at him in confusion.

"Huh?" Was all Lelouch could ask.

"I mean, if he simply used her hands to keep me away from the Vi Siblings instead of just biting...he would had a better chance of defending himself from...the wall?" Cassius nervously and awkwardly explained.

_"...Wow...that was a horribly put together excuse."_ Lelouch deadpanned in his head.

Rebecca just continued to coldly stare at him, then she started to slowly approach him.

"Cassius, you are..." Rebecca said in an emotionless, cold voice. She raised her hand, as if about to strike him. Cassius in return raised his hands over his face in fear. "...Absolutely right!" She finished with a happy tone as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Now everybody, except Joseph, was dumbfounded.

"He is?" Lelouch and Nunnally asked in surprise at the same time.

"I am?" Cassius asked, not expecting this reaction from Lady Rebecca.

"Yes! After all, my Joe is 12 years old now and needs to learn properly defend himself against such things as walls, animals, robots, nobles, etc." Rebecca rambled on happily.

"Uh..." Was all Cassius could say, wondering if he was suddenly in an alternate dimension. Lelouch was doing his own thinking.

_"She's being **way **too nice right now to someone who just caused her son to be injured." _Lelouch calculated.

"Which is why, I've decided to have Joseph join me on a six month trip around the world." Rebecca declared.

"Huh!" Lelouch gasped.

"Road trip!" Joseph cheered.

"You and big brother Joe are going to be away for that long?" Nunnally asked.

"Yep, we're going to go to different countries, learn of their cultures and their traditions to help broaden his mind. The first country we'll be going to will be Japan actually." Rebecca said happily.

"Jackie Chan!" Joseph exclaimed, making karate chops in the air. Which made Nunnally giggle.

"He's actually based in the Chinese Federation, dear. (Turns her attention back to Cassius)So thank you Cassius, for inspiring me to make this decision. It was really helpful." Rebecca ended with a sweet tone.

"It was, uh..no problem, Lady Rebecca. Glad I could help. So...I'm not in trouble?" Cassius asked with relief in his voice.

"Oh dear...of course you are." Rebecca said in a dark but sweet tone as she suddenly tightly grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"Wha.." Cassius said in a very confused and scared tone.

"You may have given me inspiration to help my son along, but you still bullied Lady Marianne's children. Someone who I consider to be a good friend and children who I consider to be my own flesh and blood, and I for one, cannot accept that." Rebecca said as her sweet voice turn more and more deadly and her grip tighten more on Cassius' shirt.

"B-but-but I.." Cassius stuttered in fear as he felt something wet coursing through his pants.

"Kids, hang out here for a bit. I need to teach Cassius here, the proper way to treat his siblings." Rebecca concluded as she threw Cassius on the ground and dragged him by the collar of his shirt.

"Wait! Please! I promise! I won't do it again! Please!" Cassius begged as tried to escape Rebecca's iron grip.

"What's going on?" Cornelia asked as she entered the hallway with Lady Marianne and a 7-year old Euphemia.

"Oh no, Joseph!" Euphemia said in concern as she made her way over to the injured Joseph, who was also being looked over by Lelouch and Nunnally.

"Cornelia! Please tell Lady Rebecca and Lady Marianne I meant no harm to her children, I was just fooling around! Please, TELL HER!" Cassius screamed as tears fell down his face.

"Oh lord...please don't kill him Lady Rebecca, I really don't want to explain to his Majesty why one of his sons was tortured to death." Cornelia told Rebecca in a tired manner.

"Oh don't worry, he'll still be able to walk after this...probably." Rebecca said with a cheerful tone.

"Have fun Cassius." Lady Marianne said in a happy tone.

"NO! PLEASE GOD, SATAN, ANYBODY, HEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP!" Cassius screamed at the top of his lung before dragged outside the doors.

And for a moment, there was dead silence.

"Bye Cassius." Joseph said in casual happiness as he waved goodbye.

"Lelouch, Auntie Becky can be really scary sometimes." Nunnally said in a bit of frightened tone.

"Indeed." Was all Lelouch could say as he himself was bit scared, forgetting just how intimidating Lady Rebecca could get when she wants to be.

"Well, that's just what happens when you want to defend someone you love. Don't forget that you two." Lady Marianne said sweetly as she picked up Nunnally and poked her nose, making her giggle.

"Yes, mommy." Nunnally said gleefully.

"Of course, mother." Lelouch said with a smile.

"Are you okay, Joseph?" Euphemia asked with concern.

"A-Ok!" Joseph responded proudly as he lifted up Euphemia and tickled her, making her laugh.

"What on Earth happened?" Cornelia asked, bewildered.

"Cassius was bullying us and insulting our mother, I was about to retort when Joseph came in." Lelouch explained.

"And bit him on the butt like one of those dogs from the cartoons." Nunnally said cutely.

"Oh for goodness sake, Joseph. What were you thinking?" Cornelia asked in annoyance as she looked at his head wound after putting Euphemia down.

"Yeah, you didn't have to put yourself in harm's way like that." Lelouch lectured.

"Though the fact you bit him in his rear is quite hilarious." Marianne said in amusement.

"Please don't encourage him, Lady Marianne." Cornelia deadpanned.

"Gotta protect siblings." Joseph said in determination.

"Well, while I do admire the fact you were willing to do as much, there are better ways of doing so than such barbaric methods." Cornelia lectured as she wiped the blood off his head with a napkin from her breast pocket.

"Thus, road trip!" Joseph cheered.

"Road trip?" Cornelia asked, confused.

"Yeah, Auntie Becky is taking big brother Joe on a six month trip around the world." Nunnally told her.

"Oh yes, she mentioned that to me the other day. Suppose to help him with his thinking and self defense. Should be fun and educational for you, dear Joe." Marianne added as she patted him on the head.

"Yep-per-rooni." Joseph agreed with a dopey smile, making them giggle, except Cornelia, who just sighed.

A few seconds later, Rebecca came back in with a smile.

"There's my brave little man, sticking up for his siblings without thinking about himself, so proud of you." Rebecca said as she squeezed Joseph's cheeks together and gave him a kiss on said cheeks, making Joseph laugh with joy.

"Lady Rebecca, shouldn't you say something about a certain action he took?" Cornelia asked, trying to lead the conversation.

Rebecca looked at her confused for a moment, then got the idea.

"Oh, of course. Joseph, dear, if you're going to bite someone, make sure to do it somewhere that isn't the person's buttocks. You never know what kind of diseases are down there." Rebecca advised him in a motherly tone.

"Okie dokie, mom." Joseph said casually.

Cornelia just facepalmed in aggravation.

_"Of course that would be her advice."_ Cornelia thought as she mentally hit herself against a wall.

"Moving on. Joseph told me about this six month trip you two were taking, when do you plan on departing?" Cornelia asked.

"Tonight." Rebecca told them casually.

"HUH!?" The group said in shock.

"Cool!" Joseph cheered.

"But that's so sudden!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"You said nothing about that." Marianne said surprised.

"We haven't even said goodbye yet!" Euphemia whined.

"Have you even planned the entire course of the trip?" Cornelia asked in frustration.

"Of course. I just kept it to myself until now. I didn't want it to become a big thing where I would be required to take guards with me. This trip is for me and my son, no one else." Rebecca told them.

"(Sighs) I suppose that makes sense. But I don't understand why you don't just educate him right here in Pendragon? We have plenty of scholars who can teach him about the world and its politics. As well as plenty of knights who can help him with self-defense and combat." Cornelia said in perplexity.

"Oh please, you really think he'll learn anything through some boring professors with words on a chalkboard. Experience is the best teacher of all I say, I think you of all people would appreciate that, Cornelia. Considering your military status." Rebecca explained.

Cornelia stared for a moment before sighing in defeat.

"Very well. I'll make sure your affairs here are kept in order." Cornelia curtsied to Rebecca.

"Thank you Cornelia. You're such a dear." Rebecca said sweetly.

"Bye Corn." Joseph said kindly as he pulled his older sister into a hug.

Cornelia couldn't help but smile as she returned the hug and ruffled his hair.

"Do be careful out there." Cornelia advised.

"Have fun, I hope you learn a lot." Lelouch said warmly.

"Bring us back presents, please." Nunnally and Euphemia said at the same time excited.

"Will do!" Joseph exclaimed as he pulled his three younger siblings into a big hug and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

Nunnally and Euphemia giggled while Lelouch groaned in disgust.

Suddenly they heard a faint screaming coming from outside.

"What on Earth is that?" Cornelia asked.

The screaming grew a bit louder and when they went over to the window, they saw the screaming was coming from Cassius. Who was currently being dragged across the court yard by a horse with his feet tied together by a 10-foot rope attached to said horse. Guards were currently trying to stop the horse and help Cassius.

To which, they were having no avail.

The group looked on surprise and amazement.

"Oh lord, I'm going to have quite a day explaining this to his Majesty." Cornelia muttered to herself.

Marianne on the other hand, was just laughing her ass off at the sight.

"Your brutality knows no bounds, Aunt Becky." Lelouch smirked in amusement at her.

"Thank you." Rebecca said happily.

...

_Japan_

_Kururugi Shrine_

Tohdoh considered himself an even-tempered man who rarely let his emotions get the better of him as he made sure to teach himself during his own time as a student. This summer took a different effect on him though.

He was surprised when he received a word that a Britannian wanted her son to be taught how to fight, and not just any Britannian, but a member of the royal family as well. He was intrigued to say the least, wondering why a consort of Britannia would want her son to learn techniques in Japanese fighting.

When they met privately two weeks ago, it was an interesting conversation to say the least.

(Flashback)

_Tohdoh and Rebecca sat across from each other in his dojo, Rebecca sipped on a cup of Jasmine tea._

_"If people were to learn about this, it would be considered treacherous from both our parties." Tohdoh told her suspiciously._

_"I've never been one to really care what other people think. But if it makes you feel better, we'll use different names when we come up here. We'll be like those tourists who come up here who want to feel more cultured. I'm sure your boss, Genbu, will buy that." Rebecca joked._

_"I'm sure the Britannian Empire has plenty of resources to train your_ _son, why go out of your to bring him to a small shrine with just one teacher?" Tohdoh asked with scrutiny._

_"I figured a change of scenery would do us both some good." Rebecca said in a casual manner._

_"Is that so?" Tohdoh asked dubiously._

_Rebecca just smirked in return._

_"To be completely honest, I don't trust those people to properly educate my son. If I were to hand my son off to said 'teachers', they would just coddle him and try to convince him that nobody can touch him because he's, A) A Britannian, and B) A Prince. No, if I want to make sure my son thrives in this world, he has to know just what kind of world it is. And knowing your reputation, I know how far you'll go to help him understand. He's a good person, and I want him to stay good." Rebecca explained._

_Tohdoh didn't lose his serious demeanor, he did arch an eyebrow up though._

_"And how far are you expecting, exactly?" Tohdoh asked._

_"Far enough that it won't be considered 'sucking up'. I trust in your abilities as a proper Sensei as I trust my boy to be an A+ student." Rebecca said that last part with pride._

_"You seem rather confident in your son." Tohdoh commented, trying to figure out this women._

_"What mother wouldn't be?" Rebecca said sweetly._

_Tohdoh stared at her for a moment, this woman was different from the usual Britannians he met. He could see she was genuine with her feelings and she probably wasn't going to leave here with a "No"._

_"If I do this, he is under my supervision. I will push him hard to make sure he becomes strong, capable, human being. It will be rough, be the results are rough it." Tohdoh told her with his serious demeanor. _

_"I completely understand, and I'm sure my son will be more than up for it. Besides, if I saw he came out with any scratches that weren't __necessary, I would simply kill you." Rebecca said casually with a demented smile._

_Though Tohdoh didn't show it, he felt a tinge of fear at the last proclamation._

(Flashback End)

Thus, with that conversation, he was waiting for her highness and her son to arrive at the shrine, with one very peeved 8-year old Suzaku Kururugi.

"Tohdoh-sensei, I don't understand why we have to shelter a couple of spoiled Britannian nobles up here for a whole month, even worse is one of them has to train with me!" Suzaku complained.

Tohdoh liked the boy, but like his father, he thought he a bit of an ego on him.

"Suzaku, my teachings are for everyone, who am I to reject someone simply because they are Britannian?" Tohdoh told him.

"Even so, once they get here, they'll probably try to tell you how to be a proper instructor and complain when they the get the slightest booboo. It's a waste of time." Suzaku said.

"We shall see." Was all Tohdoh said in return.

A moment later, Lady Rebecca came up the stairs with her son, Prince Joseph. She was wearing a sun hat with a simple dress that reached down to her knees, along with a black overcoat. And her son wore a simple white t-shirt with black shorts. They were dancing to a 70s funk song on her walkman, which made Suzaku scoff in aggravation.

_"Typical Britannians..." _Suzaku thought to himself angrily.

Lady Rebecca saw them and turned off her music.

"Lady Rebecca, it's nice have you and your son here." Tohdoh said politely, bowing forward in respect.

Suzaku refused at first, but after a glare from Tohdoh, he resigned and bowed too.

"I appreciate you letting us be here, Kyoshiro-San." Rebecca equally bowed to him, Joseph saw what she was doing and did to the same.

"And you are the one who will be training under me, Joseph Duford?" Tohdoh asked, intrigued by the kid's behavior.

"Yep-per-rooni, Sensei!" Joseph exclaimed, remembering that was the word to use for Japanese fighting teachers, though he was curious why they were going under his mother's original last name.

_"Yep-per-rooni?"_ Tohdoh couldn't help but ask himself as he never heard such vocabulary. However, he just nodded and took their attention to Suzaku. "This will be your training partner, Suzaku Kururugi."

"Nice to meet, Training buddy!" Joseph exclaimed as he suddenly grabbed Suzaku's hand and shook with fast motion, moving Suzaku up and down like a rag doll.

"Cut it out, would you!" Suzaku said angrily after he was finally able to get out of Joseph's grip. "And who said anything about being buddies, you stupid Brit!"

"Suzaku, show proper respect!" Tohdoh chided him.

Suzaku grunted but bowed his head.

"I apologize for my rude behavior." Suzaku said through gritted teeth.

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine." Rebecca said in a sweet tone.

Suzaku looked up at her, and saw something in her eyes that would haunts his memories for the rest of his life. It was death, death was in those eyes and they were calling for him. To say he was terrified was an understatement.

"I'm sure we'll get along just fine, won't we?" She asked him with the same sweet tone, but the look in her eyes not changing.

"Um...y-yes ma'am..." Suzaku said fearfully.

Tohdoh just sighed.

"Suzaku, go show Joseph where him and his mother will be staying while I talk to Lady Rebecca for a moment. And then I want you to take a lap around the shrine for your rude behavior earlier." Tohdoh ordered him.

"Cool! Love running!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Wait, I didn't say-" Tohdoh tried to say

"Come on, Training Buddy! Bye mom, bye Sensei!" Joseph yelled as he ran off, tugging a less than complying Suzaku.

"Hey, wait!" Suzaku tried to say, trying to get himself out of Joseph's tight grip. To no avail.

Rebecca smiled sweetly at them while Tohdoh just stared at this boy who drag around his pupil.

"He has a lot of energy." Tohdoh commented.

"And he'll have plenty more when you're done with him." Rebecca smiled cheeky.

Tohdoh just sighed.

...

Joseph went ahead and changed into his training outfit and met with his Sensei and his new training buddy at the dojo, he was very excited to say the least.

_"Oh man, this is going to be so cool! I wonder if I'll get to learn how they do it in Naruto!" _Joseph thought to himself in excitement.

He asked his mother once if cartoons were real, and she said anything was possible. After all, the world had giant robots now and his survival after his birth was nothing short of impossible that still became reality.

He saw Suzaku was sitting on his knees in a V-shape with his hands on his knees, so he made sure to do so as well.

_"Do Japanese people sit like this all the time? Doesn't seem too relaxing for them." _Joseph thought in wonderment.

"Welcome to your first lesson of training today, what you're about to go through will probably be the most intense exercise of your life, but it will also prove whether or not you have the right to be called a warrior, if you have the right to be stand along those who would have been Samurais of their time." Tohdoh told them both in strict manner.

Suddenly, Joseph raised his hand.

"Um...yes?" Tohdoh asked, usually not expecting a question this early on.

"What a samurai?" Joseph asked curiously.

Suzaku just shook his head and sighed.

"Of course you Britannians wouldn't know about Japanese culture. The Samurai was a prestigious rank in Japanese armies, they protected thousands with all their might and were well-respected among the people. Probably even more so than your so-called 'Knights of the Round'." Suzaku said in a snarky way.

Instead of being annoyed, Joseph just got more excited.

"Like superhero!" Joseph exclaimed, sticking his hands in the air.

This confused Suzaku to say the least.

"What? No, I mean-" Suzaku tried to explain only to be interrupted by Joseph.

"I be Samurai?!" Joseph asked enthusiastically.

Suzaku in return was getting ticked off at his optimism while Tohdoh was intrigued by it.

"With the proper training, we'll see." Tohdoh told him in a neutral manner.

"Cool...Are jutsus real?" Joseph suddenly asked again after raising his hand again.

"Jutsu?" Tohdoh asked, now really confused.

"Yeah. Fire jutsu, Water Jutsu, shadow clone jutsu. Make copies like Naruto!" Joseph said excitedly.

Tohdoh stared at him unamused while Suzaku was wondering what this kid's brain was made out of.

"That's a cartoon, lunkhead. It's fiction..." Suzaku deadpanned at him.

"Awww. Darn...dragon balls?" Joseph asked curiously, raising his hand **again**.

"How about we save questions after the training session." Tohdoh said in a neutral tone.

"Okie-Dokie." Joseph said with his dopey smile.

"Alright, let's test your combat skills. Both of you take places on opposite ends of the dojo." Tohdoh instructed.

Joseph and Suzaku did so. Suzaku got into a fighting stance while Joseph simply scratched his cheek.

_"This is going to be too easy."_ Suzaku thought with a smirk.

"Now...Begin!" Tohdoh instructed.

Suzaku charged after Joseph.

Joseph did nothing.

Suzaku landed the first punch to Joseph's face.

Joseph once again did nothing.

Suzaku punched him in the chest.

Joseph **once again **did nothing, didn't even flinch from the impact.

Suzaku laid down more punches and kicks, Joseph just took it all without a hint of pain in his eyes.

"STOP!" Tohdoh instructed.

Suzaku stopped and bowed to Tohdoh, not before showing a snarky smirk at Joseph. Joseph, who now has a few bruises on his face, followed Suzaku's lead and bowed too, with his dopey grin. Tohdoh approached them.

"Joseph, why didn't you fight back?" Tohdoh asked with an analyzing eye.

_"Suzaku isn't the type to hold back, I've felt his punches before and they are not to be trifled with. Yet, this boy is still standing like nothing has occurred. Just what thought process does he have to keep his posture like this?" _He thought to himself.

Joseph responded to his question with a shrug.

"Not necessary. Just kid. Bullying not nice." Joseph responded simply.

"Coward." Suzaku said judgmentally.

"Suzaku." Tohdoh said in a calm manner but with a look that said, _"Stay out of this."_

Suzaku saw this and bowed apologetically.

"Gomen'nasai, Sensei" Suzaku said.

"Gomen'nasai?" Joseph asked, never hearing that word before.

"It means sorry. Back to the main point, if that was the case, why didn't you dodge?" Tohdoh asked.

Joseph, once again, just shrugged.

"Never thought about, always take head on." Joseph said simply.

Tohdoh stared at him, he was perplexed by this boy to say the least. He kneeled down to Joseph's eye level.

"I respect your integrity for not wanting to harm a child. However, if this were a battlefield, you would already be dead. Your enemy will come at you from places you will not see coming and it is up to you to make sure all your senses are intact and whether or not you live to see the next day." Tohdoh told Joseph in a calm manner, Joseph looked at him in wonderment, taking all his words in. "Let's say Suzaku was a child soldier who was pointing a gun at you, are you really going to let him kill you just because he's a kid?" Tohdoh asked, intrigued by what Joseph's answer would be.

"Take gun, knock kid out, then save from soldiering!" Joseph said quickly with determination and a toothy grin.

Suzaku just rolled his eyes. Tohdoh just smirked.

"You really are the optimist it seems. Whether or not you carry that in battle will determine how long you live. However, if you're going to knock out the child, you will need to learn how to do so, won't you?" Tohdoh asked him in an instructional type of way.

"Right!" Joseph said excitedly with determination.

"Then go back to your places and show me what you can do!" Tohdoh instructed.

Joseph and Suzaku did so.

Suzaku got into a fighting stance, Joseph got into a stance that a boxer would you use.

_"Moron._" Suzaku thought to himself in amusement.

"Begin!" Tohdoh shouted.

Suzaku charged after Joseph.

Joseph, once again did nothing. Just stood his ground like before.

However, instead of taking a punch to the face. He did something Tohdoh and Suzaku were not expecting.

Which was a kick to Suzaku's nether region.

Suzaku landed on the ground, clutching down under in pain.

Tohdoh looked on for a moment without saying anything, then he made his way over to the two of them. Suzaku was still on the ground, trying to regain his composure, with no luck.

"...Joseph...why did you just kick Suzaku in his...lower region?" Tohdoh asked neutrally.

"Mom says, 'Man's weakness is balls.'" Joseph said simply with his dopey smile.

"Cheap shot, you stupid Britannian!" Suzaku said through gritted teeth.

"Suzaku, save your strength, regain yourself." Tohdoh instructed before turning his attention back to Joseph. "Your mother has the right mindset, there are no rules when fighting for your life. However, a true warrior doesn't defeat his enemy with a low blow like that, no matter the case, always make sure you have your honor intact when fighting your opponent." Tohdoh instructed.

Joseph couldn't help but be in awe but this man's words. So inspiring, so cool, like Obi-Wan Kenobi!

"Because of that, you must be punished. You are to do 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, and 10 laps around the shrine before the end of the day." Tohdoh instructed.

Joseph stared at him in confusion. _"That's a punishment?"_ He thought to himself. Then his demeanor changed to glee.

"Cool, run first!" Joseph said enthusiastically as he ran out of the dojo in excitement.

Leaving behind a very baffled and confused Tohdoh and Suzaku.

_"What the Hell is wrong with this guy!?" _Suzaku thought to himself.

Tohdoh just sighed.

_"It's going to be a very long __month."_ Tohdoh thought to himself tiredly.

...

_A Few Days Later_

Tohdoh, Joseph, and Suzaku were standing out in an open grassy field, Joseph took a deep breath of it all, enjoying the environment.

"Nice day." Joseph said simply.

"Indeed. The weather this time of year is very peaceful." Tohdoh said simply with a small smile. "Today, we will be focusing on your spiritual nature. It's not enough for you to just be physically capable in battle. You need to have a calm mind, one that is clear and keen enough to help you think through a problem and see your way through it." Tohdoh explained.

"Like Jedis!" Joseph exclaimed.

Suzaku sighed in exasperation.

"Not Jedis, buddhists you lunkhead!" Suzaku said in annoyance.

"Which made Jedis!" Joseph equated.

Suzaku groaned in annoyance.

"The point being is that we're going to practice meditating. It's a technique used in Buddhism that lets our mind and body become one with each other and reach a level of enlightenment that few have rarely seen." Tohdoh said philosophically.

"Like dreaming, but awake!" Joseph said excitedly.

"(Sighs) Not exactly, just sit down in a kneeling position." Tohdoh said tiredly.

Joseph and Suzaku did so.

"Now breathe in and out, repeat that action. Let your mind clear of any thoughts and listen to the sounds around you. The wind that rustle the leaves, the birds that chirp as they fly by, take it all in as you let your energy flow through you." Tohdoh told them in a calm manner.

Joseph listened to Tohdoh's words and made sure to do so. He could feel the earth shifting around him, the tingling in his chest, and the surge of electricity in his head.

He suddenly was transported into another world, he saw things beyond his wonders.

Waves of energy passed around him, planets aligned, and a red, fiery phoenix flew straight towards him.

He opened his eyes with gasp, startling Suzaku and Tohdoh.

"Joseph, what is it?" Tohdoh asked.

"Geez, it was just meditating. Can't you do that right?" Suzaku asked in annoyance.

"Enough, Suzaku!" Tohdoh ordered. "Joseph, what did you see?" Tohdoh asked gently but curiously.

"...Don't know. Bad dream." Joseph said simply. He wasn't scared, just confused. Then Joseph heard his stomach growl. "Hungry." Joseph said with a smile.

Tohdoh was trying to decipher all of this, but he decided not to push.

"It is almost lunch time. How about we take a break. " Tohdoh suggested.

"You read my mind." A voice from afar said, which belonged to Rebecca who was carrying a tray of sushi and rice balls for them. "I took the liberty in learning some Japanese cooking. I sure hope you like it." Rebecca said kindly.

"Thanks mom." Joseph said with a hug.

"You're quite welcome.(Turns to Suzaku)"And how are you Kururugi? Behaving yourself?" Rebecca asked kindly.

"Uh, y-yes Ma'am" Suzaku said nervously as he hid behind Tohdoh.

"Good, then come grab some food." Rebecca said in authoritative way.

Suzaku quickly did what she said, taking a tray of sushi and rice balls.

Tohdoh couldn't help but chuckle.

"Perhaps I should take notes from you on how to properly discipline." Tohdoh suggested.

"Oh trust me dear, it takes years to master. Give it another 20 and I'm sure you'll get there." Rebecca said cheerfully.

"Almost there!" Joseph said excitedly

Tohdoh wouldn't admit it, but the two were starting to grow on him.

...

The following weeks proved to be a blast for Joseph, it took cuts and bruises but he learned how to properly dodge and fight like a proper warrior. From calming his mind to slowing down his heart, it all proved to be influential for the ball of energy. Tohdoh was impressed to say the least, and while Suzaku was annoyed that a Britannian succeeded so much so quickly, he eventually stopped insulting him with every other sentence.

Though his antics sometimes drove Tohdoh and Suzaku up the walls, he took every lesson in strive.

He and his mother also got acquainted with the culture there as well, from their food to their traditions. Rebecca and Joseph especially enjoyed wearing kimonos. For Joseph, it was because he thought he looked like a Jedi, for Rebecca, she just thought it was nice fashion.

The last day of their stay, Tohdoh and Rebecca shared tea while Joseph was giving a Suzaku's cousin named Kaguya, whom Joseph got to meet and know during his stay, a piggyback ride. Though he kept mispronouncing her name as "Kagu-ya" not "Ka-gu-ya". Suzaku reprimanded him for it but Kaguya was more forgiving, though she would pout about it at times.

"Joseph, please be careful!" Suzaku lectured as he ran after the two across the grassy plains. Kaguya just giggled.

"Faster, faster!" She exclaimed.

"O-K!" Joseph cheered.

"NO!" Suzaku said annoyed.

Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, she turned back to Tohdoh.

"They're getting along quite well now." Rebecca commented.

"Yes. Though Suzaku always like to be the adult of the group." Tohdoh added on.

"He's like my surrogate son, Lelouch. Born literally into a grownup." Rebecca chuckled.

Tohdoh just nodded.

"...Your son has a lot of heart, and he uses his brain in a very unfashioned way. History has shown that can be a very grand or very dangerous path. Either way, I've done all I can to teach him. What he does next is his choice." He said wisely after a moment of silence.

Rebecca just smiled warmly.

"I have faith in him...thank you." Rebecca said kindly. "And to think, I didn't have to rip your testicles off to make sure he got proper care." She said casually as she took another sip of her tea.

Though he showed no emotion outwardly, inwardly he was thinking fearfully:

_"What Britannian Emperor Charles saw in this woman, I'll never know..."_

_To Be Continued..._

**SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE THIS!** **I got caught up with other projects and only been writing in spades, but I hope you enjoy this new chapter though. Anyway, there will be one last flashback chapter before I get back to the main storyline and if you guys have read chapter 6: Making New Friends! Part 1, I think you know there's going to be some tragedy ahead. Hope to get back soon, enjoy the chapter and tell me what you think.**


	18. Flashback!: An Ending And A Beginning!

_"Mom, why coat?" Joseph asked his mother one day when they were out walking in a park._

_He saw her wear it on many occasions, even though it looked a bit worn out, it had some patches on it as well._

_"What do you mean, dear?" Rebecca asked sweetly._

_"Wear all time. It magic?" Joseph asked innocently._

_Rebecca chuckled at that, happy that her son's imagination can go to such places. They sat down on a bench, and enjoyed the midday air._

_"This coat, belonged to your great grandfather, Herbert Duford. He was in the Irish Naval Service and he traveled around the world with this coat on, every re-stitching and patch on it has it's own story, a piece of our family history. He passed this coat on to my father, who passed it on to me, and one day I'll give it to you." Rebecca told him nostalgically as she showed him the details of his coat._

_"Nope." Joseph said simply._

_"Nope?" Rebecca asked in confusion._

_"No passing down. Be here forever!" Joseph told her gleefully as he hugged her._

_Rebecca once again chuckled._

_"I love your optimism, my little Joe." Rebecca told him sweetly as she returned the hug._

And for awhile, he didn't think he would be wrong.

_..._

_Pendragon - 2009_

Tonight marked another party at the Britannia home city. People came with their expensive outfits and haircuts and dance along the ball room with classical music. Marianne and her children were there to keep up appearances, Cornelia and Euphemia were there to guard her(well Cornelia was anyway, Euphemia wanted to come along), and Rebecca and Joseph came for moral support.

Milly Ashford and her grandfather Rueben were there to show their support to Lady Marianne as well. Plus, Milly always enjoyed spending time with the four Britannia siblings.

Joseph could see that Lelouch and Nunnally felt uncomfortable being there, seeing how the majority of nobility looked at them with contempt. So he decided to lighten up the mood.

He took two black-colored plates and put them over his ears.

"I, mascot of evil empire!" Joseph proclaimed in a high, squeaky voice.

That got a laugh out of Lelouch, Nunnally, Milly and Euphemia. Rebecca chuckled as well, happy that her son always found a way to cheer up his siblings.

"Thanks for coming out tonight. These parties always make my children feel awkward." Marianne said gratefully

"Happy to oblige." Rebecca said happily.

"No problem at all, Lady Marianne." Reuben said with a smile.

That's when a young man with turquoise-colored hair approached them, he bowed in respect at the two consorts.

"Lady Marianne, the car will be here in an hour to take you and children back home when ready." The young man said in respect.

"Thank you, Jeremiah." Marianne said with a smile.

"Jeremiah Gottwald, it's been awhile." Rebecca said happily.

"Yes, it's good to see you Lady Rebecca." Jeremiah said with respect and a smile.

Rebecca and Jeremiah crossed paths with each other multiple times at the Aries Villa whenever she and Joe came to visit. She thought he was a true gentleman that didn't let public opinion fuel his own thinking.

And while Jeremiah's loyalty was always to Lady Marianne, he held a lot of admiration and respect for Lady Rebecca. How she basically barged her way through the trenches that was Britannian nobility and still came out with her head held high. The lengths she would go through to make sure her son was treated equally and wasn't just a handicap was truly inspiring. He thought Prince Joseph was a good kid too, he always made things lively whenever you were in the room with him and always brought a smile to your face.

Rebecca grunted as she clutched her head a bit.

"Are you alright, Lady Rebecca?" Cornelia asked in concern.

"Oh yes, just a bit of headache today. Nothing to worry about." Rebecca said in reassurance.

That's when the piano kicked into a new song.

"Care for a dance while we catch up?" Rebecca asked as she extended her hand to him.

Jeremiah looked in surprise and glanced over to Lady Marianne, who nodded in approval.

"It would be my honor, your highness." Jeremiah said with a smile.

Joseph turns to Cornelia and curtsy in a dramatic way.

"Proper dancing, thou Lady Corn?" Joseph in a faux British accent.

Cornelia couldn't help but chuckle.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Joseph." Cornelia responded as she extended her hand to him and they as well went out to the dance floor.

"Lelouch, will you dance with me as well?" Euphemia asked pleadingly.

"No fair! He's my brother, I want to dance with him!" Nunnally whined.

"Nunnally, learn to share your brother." Marianne gently lectured.

"It's okay mother, I can dance with both of them." Lelouch reassured as he took both of them by the hand to the dance floor.

"Yay!" Nunnally and Euphemia cheered happily.

"I call next!" Milly cheered.

Lelouch sighed, he knew this would be a long night for him.

They all entered the dance floor when a woman started singing an aria.

_Oh, how divine_

_Glamour, music, and magic combine_

_See the maidens so anxious to shine_

People swayed to the music with calm but passionate demeanor, including Rebecca and Joseph. Britannian Classical wasn't their favorite but they still had appreciation for its craft and their dancing, one of the few good things to come out of the culture.

"So, I can see you're making sure Marianne stays nice and safe." Rebecca commented as they continued to dance.

"Of course, I would gladly give my life for her and her children if I had to." Jeremiah said proudly.

"Just how did Marianne managed to scoop up such a loyal fellow as you, and where do I find your twin?" Rebecca asked with a smirk, making Jeremiah chuckle.

"Honestly, she reminds me a lot of you. Kind but fierce, smart and courageous to a fault, it's something to admire." Jeremiah told her with praise. Rebecca smiled.

_Look for a sign that enhances chances_

_She'll be his special one_

"Well, I appreciate that. I hope one day, my son will find someone as loyal as you." Rebecca said before succumbing to another ache in the head that made her clutch her head and groan in pain.

"Are you sure you're alright, your highness?" Jeremiah asked in concern.

_What a display_

_What a breathtaking, thrilling array_

"Uh, yes. Of course, just need an aspirin ." Rebecca said as a tinkle of blood started to come out of her nose.

This caught the attention of the children.

"Mom?" Joseph asked in confusion as he stopped dancing with Cornelia.

"Lady Rebecca?" Cornelia asked in concern.

_Every prince, every dog has his day_

Rebecca wipes and her nose and saw the blood.

"Damn it." Rebecca quietly said to herself as she started to slip into unconsciousness.

_And I'll sing with passion, gusto, fit to bust_

"Your highness!" Jeremiah exclaimed in shock and concern as he caught her.

"Mom!" Joseph yelled in fear as he ran over to her.

Cornelia, Lelouch, Nunnally, Euphemia followed behind. Marianne, Reuben, and Milly ran out there to see what was going on.

_Oh, not a care in the woooooorld!_

Joseph took his mother out of Jeremiah's arms into his own, screaming "MOM!" over and over again.

"Auntie Becky?" Nunnally asked in quiet fear, tears gathering in her eyes as she clutched Lelouch's arm. Lelouch himself was looking at the scene in confusion and concern, wondering what was wrong with his favorite aunt, same with Euphemia.

"SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR!" Cornelia barked.

...

_Hospital_

Joseph stared intensely at the hospital doors that had his mother on the other side, he tried to push his way through to be with her and almost accomplished doing so but Cornelia convinced him to calm down and not scare his siblings, who were currently waiting with him in the waiting room, all still in their outfits from the party. Marianne told Jeremiah to stand guard outside while Milly and Rueben went home, understanding this was a personal matter for the family.

Joseph just stood a few inches away from the door, not moving at all for the last two hours.

"Joseph, perhaps you should sit down. Rest your legs for awhile." Marianne suggested with concern, holding Nunnally in her arms.

Joseph, in return, didn't say anything. Cornelia sighed tiredly.

"Joseph, standing there isn't going to-"

"Not moving!" Joseph said angrily through gritted teeth.

Cornelia and the others looked at him in surprise, they never seen Joseph angry before, not even towards those who were mean to him or his siblings.

_"I suppose it makes sense. If it was Euphemia or our Vi siblings in there, I would probably be glued to the same spot he was in right now as well." _Cornelia thought to herself in understanding and sadness.

It was then, a doctor came through the doors, Joseph came up to him in a millisecond.

"How mom?" Joseph asked quickly, really wanting to get the answer.

"Um, s-she's fine now. She's resting." The doctor stuttered, surprised by the prince's quick speed.

"Where?" Joseph asked.

"Your highness, how about you take a deep breath for a moment and-" The doctor didn't get to finish as he was suddenly pulled by his collar into Joseph's face.

"WHERE!?" Joseph screamed at the doctor, not wanting to hear anything else.

"Joe!" Cornelia yelled, wanting him to remain calm and not make a scene.

"R-Room 1-189!" The doctor stuttered fearfully, convinced for a second that the prince might have killed him if he delayed for another second.

Joseph then threw the doctor out of his way and ran into the infirmary, Cornelia uttered a quick apology and followed after him, along with the other siblings and Lady Marianne in tow.

"Mom!" Joseph yelled, racing towards her room, making sure to look at the numbers on the doors so he knew he was going in the right direction.

He found the room and rushed in, he saw his mom laying in a hospital bed. She looked tired, but besides that, she looked good.

She turned to him and gave him a small smile.

"There you are, my little Joe." Rebecca said in soft, tired voice as she reached out to him.

Joe smiled with tears in his eyes, he ran over to her and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, it's alright, I'm okay." Rebecca said to her son in a soothing tone as she rubbed his back.

The rest of the family finally caught up and were relieved to see Rebecca in good shape.

"Are you alright, Aunt Rebecca?" Lelouch asked in concern as he approached her bed, Nunnally in tow.

"Are you sick?" Nunnally asked quietly.

"I was probably just tired is all, Nunne." Rebecca said as she patted her head.

"Actually, it's more complicated than that I'm afraid, your highness." The doctor, who Joseph interrogated, said as he entered the room.

Cornelia gave Joseph a stern look.

"Sorry for being mean." Joseph said apologetically.

"It's quite alright, your highness." The doctor said forgivingly.

"I'm guessing he wanted to know where I was right away, huh? I would have done the same thing, though I probably would have thown the guy out of my way." Rebecca said with a smirk, not knowing that's exactly what Joseph did.

Making the others laugh and Cornelia sigh tiredly.

"What did you mean more complicated?" Marianne asked.

"I'm sorry, your highness. But only family members can-" The doctor didn't get to finish as he was interrupted by Rebecca.

"They are all family, doctor. What needs to be said to me, can be said to them." Rebecca told him, gently yet firmly. The doctor nodded.

"Very well, we ran your blood through our labs and...I'm sorry to say, you have Adult T-Cell Leukemia, your highness." The doctor said sadly.

The group looked on shock, except Joseph and Nunnally, who were just confused.

"Leu-Le-media?" Nunnally asked in cute confusion.

"Leukemia, dear. It's basically when bad blood hurts your body and makes you really sick." Marianne explained to her as she lifted her into her arms.

"Hold on, are you sure your data is right. It could be a misreading." Cornelia argued.

"We ran the tests three times in a row, your highness. I'm afraid it's true. The disease is attacking Lady Rebecca's blood cells at a fast rate and is poisoning her organs." The doctor told her.

"Okay, but, she'll get better, right? She just needs to go through some sort of treatment. Chemotherapy, it's called, right?" Lelouch asked in a hopeful tone.

The doctor looked at the children with sadness.

"...I'm sorry to say that the way the disease has rapidly progressed so far, no treatment will be able to eradicate the virus in time for recovery." The doctor told them in gentle straightforwardness.

The group looked at him in shock, not believing the words coming out of his mouth, except Rebecca, she just looked on solemnly.

"How much time?" She asked gently.

"1 or 2 months at most, your highness." The doctor told her gently.

"This is ridiculous! She was fine just a few hours ago! We have some of the best medical technology here and you're telling me there's nothing you can do!? How the hell did you get your job!?" Cornelia lashed out at the doctor, not wanting to accept this diagnosis.

"Cornelia!" Rebecca shouted, getting Cornelia and everyone else's attention. "Doctor, can you give us a minute?" She asked him gently. The doctor nodded.

"You have my deepest condolences." The doctor said regretfully as he left.

Euphemia, who hadn't said anything yet, looked at Rebecca with tears sprouting in her eyes.

"You're dying, aren't you, Aunt Becky?" Euphemia asked tearfully.

"...I'm afraid so, dear." Rebecca told her with a sad smile.

Euphemia came over to Rebecca and gave her a tight hug as she sobbed in her shoulder.

"Aunt Rebecca...I..." Lelouch slowly said, not sure what to say anymore.

"It's alright dear, I know." Rebecca told him gently.

"Guys, come on. Gonna be A-OK!" Joseph told them optimistically.

The group looked at him in confusion, including Rebecca. Cornelia went over to him and looked at him in sympathy.

"Joseph, I know this is hard to accept. But your mother-"

"Gonna be fine! Look, (points at himself) me fine! Not at first, then was! Same with mom!" Joseph interrupted Cornelia with further optimism, not wanting to hear any doubt.

"Joe, please listen..." Rebecca tried to tell him, to no avail though.

"No worry mom, find cure!" Joseph proclaimed as he kissed her on the head and then raced out of the hospital room, despite the protests of his family.

"We'll go after him." Marianne told Rebecca with sympathy. "Come on Lelouch." She said to Lelouch as she took his hand, he waved a sad goodbye to Rebecca who blew him a kiss.

"Mommy, do you think big brother Joe will really find a cure." Nunnally innocently asked her mother. Marianne smiled sadly at her.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see, honey." Marianne told her softly as they left the room.

"Euphie, won't do you go join them, I'll be with you in a minute." Cornelia said in a gentle tone.

"Okay." Euphemia said with sniffle after wiping the tears of her face.

After Euphemia left, Cornelia looked at Rebecca with a hopeful expression.

"It was miracle that you did find a cure for Joseph. Any chance you have another?" Cornelia asked.

Rebecca smiled in sad amusement and shook her head.

"I'm afraid I'm out of tricks this time, Corn." Rebecca said quietly.

It was nickname that Joseph had given her, which annoyed her to no end. But hearing it come from Rebecca in this state, she was very close to crying.

"If there's anything I can do for you, Lady Rebecca, please tell me so." Cornelia said with determination as she kneeled at Rebecca's bedside like a knight would. Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle

"You always have been a proper lady, Cornelia. Even when you were a child. Please, when the time comes, just be there for Joseph, when he really needs it." Rebecca told her kindly.

"I will, _Aunt_ Rebecca, I will." Cornelia told her solemnly.

...

_Aries Villa_

For the next few weeks, Joseph scavenged through every medical book, every anatomy book, and every medical tv show to find a cure for his mom. None of them seem to have the answer. During this time, Marianne had him and Rebecca stay at the Aries Villa to help her in anyway they could since she had no servants herself. His siblings and Marianne put on a supportive front at first, but as Rebecca started to grow weaker and sicker, they realized they had to confront him about it.

One day, Marianne, Cornelia, and Lelouch found him using the living room as some sort of conspiracy map.

"Um...Joseph, what are you doing?" Cornelia asked in a very confused manner.

Joseph looked up in surprise, not even hearing them come in.

"Oh, hi! Came to help?" Joseph asked excited.

"Help with what exactly?" Lelouch asked, just as confused as Cornelia.

"Find cure finally! Very close!" Joseph said gleefully.

"He's going with a mythology route this time." Marianne said in a tired manner, as his searching have been keeping her up all nights.

"Greek mythology! Find God of Medicine with confusing name!" Joseph exclaimed as showed them a picture of a statue of the Greek God, Asclepius.

"Joe..." Cornelia spoke out, trying to get his attention.

"Use magic powers for mom!" Joseph explained enthusiastic.

"Joseph..." Lelouch spoke up as well.

"Heal her and live happily-" Joseph didn't get to finish his statement.

"Joseph! Stop for a second!" Cornelia yelled, finally getting his attention.

"...What?" Joseph, genuinely confused by his sister's anger.

Cornelia sat down and gestured Joseph to do the same. She took a deep breath before looking at Joseph in a serious manner

"Look, I know how much you love your mother and that you want this to work out. And while me, Lelouch, Lady Marianne, and both Nunnally and Euphemia have been trying to find those answers for you as well, we need to start accepting the reality of the situation. Your mother is dying." Cornelia told him in a straightforward manner.

"I know, but fine later. Find cure." Joseph told her in an obvious tone.

"Joseph, life is not some comic book film where the good guys always win or a cartoon with a princess and prince kissing at the end. We have tried everything from tests to experimental drugs, nothing has worked! Your mother has grown weaker each day to the point where she can't even get out of bed without assistance! We are out of miracles!" Cornelia said to him piercingly.

"I miracle! Should be dead!" Joseph pointed to himself as he yelled at them in anger, shocking the group, never have they seen Joseph like this before. "Alive because mom! Saved me! Gotta save her!" He continued to yell in angry determination, before quieting down and resuming to look at documents about Asclepius. "...Gotta." Joseph said quietly.

The group looked at him in silence, not sure what to say, they could only feel sympathy for the boy in denial. Finally, Cornelia put a gentle hand on Joseph's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Joe. No one, especially at your age, should. But you need to say goodbye before its too late." Cornelia told him softly, like a big sister should.

"She's right Joseph. I love Aunt Becky, she's like a second mother to me, but we need to start preparing for the worst." Lelouch told him with sadness in his voice, hating that he had to tell his brother this.

Marianne didn't say anything, just looked in sympathy.

Joseph stared at them for a moment before arching his eyes in anger.

"Quitters..." Joseph said quietly.

The group looked in surprise.

"J-Joseph..." Cornelia said, not expecting him to say that.

"QUITER!(Pointing to Cornelia) QUITER!(Pointing to Lelouch) QUITER!(Pointing to Marianne) ALL QUITERS!" Joseph screamed at them as tears sprouted from his eyes.

He kicked the table a little harder than he meant to as he sent it flying into the wall, but he didn't care, he didn't want to hear any of the negativity concerning his mother. He swiped his eyes and ran away.

"Joe, please wait!" Lelouch tried to go after him, but he was stopped by his mother.

"Let him go, Lelouch. This is what's necessary for him." Marianne told her son gently.

Lelouch didn't like it, but he nodded his head in understanding.

_"When Ragnarok is complete, I'll make sure Joseph is reunited with Rebecca first."_ Marianne thought to herself.

...

Joseph rushed to the room his mother was staying in while she was bedridden, he slammed the door hard, shaking everything in the room and startling Rebecca.

"Joseph?" Rebecca asked, startled by her son's anger and sudden appearance.

Joseph, seeing his mother confused and a bit scared, calmed down.

In the last few weeks, Rebecca had gotten thinner, her skin had gotten paler, and they had to shave her head because her head was falling out. It was accurate to say she looked like a ghost of her former self. Her appearance even made Nunnally scared as she cried and had to be taken out of the room.

But Joseph didn't care, he thought she looked beautiful no matter what, and he always told her that, making her smile from his kind words.

"Hi mom. Still beautiful." Joseph told her softly with a smile as he sat next to her on the bed.

As always, she smiled at the comment.

"Thank you, dear. Now tell me what all the ruckus is all about." Rebecca asked in a motherly tone.

"Eh, siblings, stupid argument, no worries." Joseph reassured her happily.

"...I'm guessing they gave you that intervention I asked of them." Rebecca said in a solemn tone.

Joseph's happy demeanor went away as he looked at his mother in shock.

"Mom...?" Joseph asked, very confused now.

Rebecca looked at him with sorrow.

"I wanted to say it myself, but I just didn't want to break your heart this way." Rebecca said quietly.

"No give up! Found miracle for me! Find for you!" Joseph told her in desperate determination. Rebecca smiled sadly at him.

"One of the things I always loved about you was your optimism, my little Joe. And it will help you carry on in this world when I'm gone." Rebecca told him, her voice starting to break.

"Nope. Not listening. Lalalalala!" Joseph said as he covered his eyes and squinted his eyes shut, not wanting to hear anything.

"Joseph, look at me..." Rebecca said, tears starting to gather in her eyes.

"Mmm-mmm!" Joseph said as he shook his head violently, tears starting to gather in his own eyes.

"Joseph, please..." Rebecca said in a begging tone.

"NO!" Joseph yelled as he was practically clutching his ears at this point, tears streaming down his eyes.

"LOOK AT ME, DAMN IT!" Rebecca screamed at him as she pulled his arms away from his ears, shocking Joseph into opening his eyes as he never heard his mother yell at him before, ever.

And when he looked at her, he finally saw just how skinny she looked, how pale she looked, and how her smooth brown hair was now all gone. What once was his mother was now this frail woman he could barely recognize.

He could finally see his mother was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Listen to me...you are...the greatest thing that has ever happened to me...and I'm sorry...I'm s-so sorry..." Rebecca said as she finally broke down.

In return, Joseph did the same as he clutched his mother as tight as he could.

"DON'T DIE! DON'T DIE!" Joseph wailed into his mom's chest.

Rebecca could only say, "I'm so sorry...", over and over again as she sobbed into his back.

...

A few days later, Rebecca had finally passed away, dying in her sleep.

Joseph never left her side, not even to take a bath.

When he finally left the room for the guards to transport her body, the first thing he did was slowly stroll up to a wall before suddenly banging his head **hard** against it. He had to be restrained by Cornelia as he screamed for his mother and angry, sad tears streamed down his eyes. Cornelia held him in her arms, soothing him, being there for him like Rebecca had asked.

At first, his siblings were scared by their brother's behavior, but then they could see just how much pain their brother was in. Nunnally was the first to go up to him as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, finally calming him down. In return, Joseph wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder, they were soon joined by Lelouch and Euphemia, who were shedding their own tears.

Rebecca was cremated as per her request and they had a small memorial for her that was attended by the Vi Britannia Family, the Li Britannia siblings, Reuben and Milly Ashford, Guilford, Darlton, and Jeremiah. The Emperor didn't show up, but none of them really expected him too.

Joseph, surprisingly, didn't attend either. He just sat in the bed where his mother died and clutched the urn his mother's ashes were in, silent tears ran down his face.

The next couple of weeks, Joseph was basically a zombie.

Marianne had him stay with them at the Aries Villa as he didn't want to go home and be faced with all those memories, not even wanting to be near his mother's walkman.

And he did everything with very little to no effort. He walked with a slouched position, he ate only when necessary, and only said simple phrases such as, "Yes", "No", and "okay". His siblings tried to cheer him up at points but he just patted their head and went into another room.

One time, as a way to try to left up his spirits, they brought the record player that his mother owned and some records for him to play, hoping to see him do some of his dance moves.

Instead, he just played really depressing music, particularly one that made everyone feel really awkward.

_They, crucified our savioooooor, and nailed him to the croooooooooosssssssss_

_He aroooooooossssssse, he aroooooooosssssssse_

Joseph just sat in a chair in a slumped form as he listened to the music.

"Mommy, what does crucified mean?" Nunnally asked curiously.

Marianne and Lelouch looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Um, I'll tell you when you're older, honey." Marianne said in a sweet, putting-off tone.

It seemed hopeless that Joseph was ever going to return to his old, full of energy, jolly self.

Until one day.

...

That one day, Lelouch was practicing on the piano while Nunnally was singing a song from an animated film about cats.

_Do mi do mi do so mi do_

_Every truly cultured music student knows_

_You must learn your scales and your arpeggios_

Cornelia and Euphemia came by to visit as well, and to check up on Joseph's well being.

"How's he doing?" Cornelia asked with concern.

"Still in depression, I haven't even seen him all day. Poor boy, it's like his soul was sucked right out of him." Marianne said sympathy.

Cornelia nodded in sadness, she hated seeing him so empty. Sure his antics were annoying, but they're what made him him. She wished she knew what to do.

_Do mi so do do so mi do_

_Do mi so do do so mi do_

Nunnally's singing was suddenly joined by another, a voice that belonged to none other than Joseph Du Britannia. Who came into the room with a smile on his face, his mother's urn in his arm, and a spring in his step as he came over to the piano. Shocking the group as they watched him.

_Though it seems at first it doesn't show_

_Like a tree, ability will bloom and grow_

Joseph put his mother's urn on top of the piano and picked up Nunnally as they sang the song together in harmony, Lelouch and Nunnally were confused at first but Lelouch didn't stop playing as saw there was a rhythm going on and Nunnally continued singing as she was just happy to see her brother happy.

_If you're smart you'll learn by heart what every artist knows_

Lelouch soon joined in the singing, as did Euphemia.

_Your must sing your scales_

_And your arpppppppppppppppeggiooooooooooooooooooos_

Joseph finished that last part with a dramatic high note as he jumped on the piano and did a dramatic pose, as if under a spotlight.

The group gave him a round of applause with Euphemia shouting "Encore!" Joseph bowed in the praise.

"You're back big brother Joe!" Nunnally said in glee, hugging her brother.

"Yep-per-rooni!" Joseph said in glee too as he jumped off the piano and gathered his little siblings in a big hug. Making them laugh in joy.

"I'm glad to see you're in good spirits again, Joe." Lelouch said, happy to see his brother like this again.

"Yes, indeed. What brought this on?" Cornelia asked, boggled by her brother sudden change in attitude after the last few weeks of misery.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah.(Zips his mouth close) No ruin mystery." He told them in a whisper.

This confused the group.

"Awww, but we wanna know." Nunnally and Euphemia whined.

"Secret is secret until everybody knows." Joseph told them with his dopey smile, before looking at them in a serious manner. "Sorry guys, been major downer, ruined mood." He told them apologetically.

This surprised the group.

"There's no need to apologize, Joe. You had every right to feel the way you did." Cornelia said sympathetically as she kneeled to Joseph's level. "But are you really okay now?" She asked, wanting to be sure this persona wasn't a rouse he put on.

He responded by giving her a tight hug.

"Abso-toda-lutely, Corn." Joseph simply said.

Cornelia couldn't help but chuckle as she hugged her brother in return.

"Hey, help with something?" Joseph asked the group after he let go of Cornelia.

"Of course, Joseph. What is it?" Marianne asked sweetly.

He went back to the piano and grabbed his mother's urn.

"Help say goodbye." Joseph said simply but with a smile.

...

Joseph, along with Cornelia, Euphemia, Lelouch, Nunnally, and Marianne went to the hill top they often played on. They created many memories there so it only seemed right that it would be the place that he would finally pay his respects. He held the urn in front of him in a loving manner.

"Mom, the greatest mom in world. No one could top!" Joseph exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Sorry, Aunt Mary." He said apologetically to Marianne.

"It's quite alright, dear." Marianne chuckled.

"Strong, blunt, courageous, took no shit!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Joseph, language." Cornelia lectured.

"Well, it is true." Lelouch added on.

"Big heart too, shared love with everyone!" Joseph cheered before turning serious. "Sad she's gone. Will miss her. But always love, no matter what, and always here(clutched his heart)." He ended with a heartwarming tone.

The group smiled at his speech, happy to see him better and finally saying goodbye.

"Goodbye mom, see later." Joseph declared as he opened the urn and spread her ashes across the grassy plains.

"We'll miss you Auntie Becky!" Nunnally said happily as she waved goodbye.

"I hope Heaven is fun!" Euphemia cheered.

This made the rest of the group laugh.

"Alley-oop!" Joseph said as he chucked the urn into a nearby lake.

"And there goes $900." Cornelia deadpanned.

"Oh well, at least he's happy." Marianne told her brightly.

"OH GOD, NO!" Joseph suddenly shouted, jump-scaring everyone.

"What! What is it?" Cornelia asked frantically.

"Mom's walkman, Mom's coat! Gotta get before really dusty!" Joseph told them frantically as he sprinted his way to his house.

"Joseph, your house is an hour away just from driving!" Lelouch yelled at him.

"Then hurry!" Joseph yelled back, not caring about the distance.

Mariane sighed tiredly, she could see he really was back to his regular self.

"I guess we should get my car and go after him." Marianne said with a tired smile.

"Indeed." Cornelia said with equal tiredness, knowing full well now that her brother was indeed back

...

_Du Britannia Residence_

When the gang finally made it to his house, they made a shocking discovery.

Men were removing possessions left and right, and they even had construction crew there. Presumably to tear the place down.

"What the hell is this!? I demand to speak to the person in charge here!" Cornelia ordered with tense authority.

A man in a suit approached them.

"I'm sorry your highnesses, but we have been authorized to repossess Rebecca Du Britannia's house and everything inside." The Business Man told them.

"What on Earth are you talking about!? It's decreed in Imperial Royal Law that unless dictated in one's will, when a royal family member dies, including the consorts, their possessions are all transferred to their next of kin!" Cornelia explained furiously.

"That is correct, but one of the clauses in that Law is being the next of kin must claim that title in two weeks time or the deceased's household and possessions hereby belong to the state of Pendragon." The Business Man told them in a professional manner.

"He didn't claim the title because he was too busy mourning, you jerk!" Lelouch argued.

"Lelouch, calm down." Marianne gently ordered, making Lelouch huff out a breath in aggravation. She approached the Business Man. "Sir, would this authorization come from Emperor Charles himself?" Marianne asked in a polite but rather menacing tone, making the Business Man step back nervously.

"Um, y-yes your highness, he sighed the Repo document himself." The Business Man said nervously as he gave her the document from his coat pocket.

Marianne examined it and could see Charle's signature on there. For her, it wasn't too surprising.

Out of all his consorts, he always talked about Lady Rebecca the most unfavorably and how she "convinced" him into sleeping with her, this was probably his way of getting back at her.

Marianne sighed as she handed back the document.

"I'm sorry Joseph, but I'm afraid there's nothing we can do." Marianne told him gently.

But he wasn't paying to her, instead he had his eyes set on a specific dresser.

"FREEZE!" Joseph ordered while pointing at the men holding the dresser.

His shout made everyone, including his family, stand still in fear.

"Down." Joseph ordered as he then pointed his finger down.

The men, understanding the gist, did what he said, and literally the dropped the dresser with a "THUD".

"Show some proper care, would you!" Cornelia ordered, she may not be able to stop them from taking Lady Rebecca's stuff, but she could certainly make sure they treated it with respect.

Joseph went over to the dresser like a man on a mission and opened it. He didn't have to look hard for what he was searching for as it was right down the middle.

His mother's black overcoat, passed down from three generations.

"Ah-ha!" Joseph said with glee.

He took the coat and reached into a pocket, pulling out his mother's walkman with the turtle sticker on it. A turtle because they were her favorite animal. He looked inside the pocket and could see all her tapes were inside.

A breathed a sigh of relief as he hugged the coat tightly and warmly, happy he was able to get this piece of his mom back.

"Okay, all good!" Joseph told the men repossessing his house.

"HUH!" His family shouted in surprise, not expecting him to be say that. Cornelia approached him in a very confused manner.

"J-Joe, what are you-"

"Wait!" Joseph shouted again, interrupting Cornelia and making the men stop again.

He saw a man holding a picture frame with a photo of Rebecca with a baby Joe in her arms smiling sweetly at him inside. He went over to him and politely grabbed the photo from the confused man.

"Thank you.(To the confused man) Go ahead!(To the rest of the men.)" Joseph said casually as he walked away, clearly not caring about any of the other stuff in the house.

The group stared at him flabbergasted.

"B-bu-ba-but, what about..." Cornelia sputtered, trying to understand the occurrences that just happened.

"Don't worry your highness, he can keep those. The state of Pendragon has no need for useless relics as such." The Business Man told her offhandedly before being kicked in the shin by Euphemia, letting out a painful "OW!".

"You're a big jerk!" Euphemia said with an angry pout.

"Your highness, shouldn't you reprimand her?" The Business Man asked, not happy he was just bullied by a child, princess or not.

"Be thankful it's not a bullet to the head, you twat." Cornelia said with an evil eye, making the Business Man gulp.

The group caught up with Joseph, who was looking at his mother's photo with happiness.

"Joseph!" Cornelia called after him.

Joseph looked up in confusion.

"What?" He asked casually.

"Aren't you mad that your home is being taken away?" Lelouch asked in confusion.

"Nah, just house." Joseph told him like it wasn't a big deal, which for him, it honestly wasn't.

"What about all your clothes, surely you want those?" Marianne asked him.

Joseph stared blankly at her before realization hit him.

"Oh yeeeeeaaahhh...oh well." He simply said as he shrugged his shoulders.

Cornelia pinched her nose in aggravation.

To which the sound of a wrecking ball screeched through the air and they turned to see the house being destroyed.

"Bye house!" Joseph waved goodbye cheerfully.

Cornelia stared at the scene with scrutiny

"Out of all the audacity! But I guess it's no surprise, men like that show no respect to any-"

*BREAK!*

Cornelia didn't get to finish as she heard the sound of glass shattering and looked to see that Joseph broke off the picture frame.

"Wh-WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Cornelia asked, flabbergasted.

"Get photo." Joseph told her with casual simplicity as he took the photo out of the broken frame.

"You couldn't just-" Cornelia didn't finish her rant as she felt Lelouch grab her arm.

"Cornelia, take a deep breath, and let it go." Lelouch told her, knowing arguing with Joseph would prove no good.

Cornelia just sighed in utter defeat. Joseph looked at the photo and gave it a quick kiss.

"But are you sure you're okay with this Joe? I mean, this was the house you grow up in, where your mother raised you. Are you sure you just want to give up your home?" Lelouch asked, not wanting to see his brother further depressed than before.

Joseph in return smiled gently at him.

"Home here(pointing to brain) and here(pointing to heart), that all. Plus, already got important things." Joseph explained as he gestured at the coat and walkman.

He then put the coat on, easing into the sleeves and feeling the texture around him. It was big for his size, but he would grow into it.

"I must say, it suits you quite well." Marianne complimented.

"Yeah, just like Auntie Becky!" Nunnally added on cheerfully.

Joseph struck a few poses at that making his siblings and Marianne laughed. Cornelia just sighed.

"Well, if you are truly are fine with it. We'll leave it as it is." Cornelia said, finally letting it go. "However, now we need to think about where you'll be living, now that your house is gone, literally." She said in a thinking tone.

"Well, he's already been making himself comfortable with us for the last few weeks, might as well make it permanent." Marianne suggested wholeheartedly.

"You mean Big Brother Joe gets to live with us forever!?" Nunnally asked excited.

"Yay! That makes trips to seeing all of you guys easier!" Euphemia said with equal excitement.

"If that's what he wants, of course." Marianne said kindly.

"Ultimate sleepover!" Joseph cheered.

He then took a cassette tape from his mother's coat and inserted it into the walkman, pressing play, a playful but funky beat came on.

_You went to school to learn, girl_

_Things you never, never knew before_

_Like "I" before "E" except after "C"_

_And why two plus two makes four, now, now, now_

Joseph danced to the beat and got his younger siblings into the mood, the four siblings happily danced together, full of joy. Marianne and Cornelia simply shook their heads and smiled at the actions taking place.

...

_Aries Villa_

For the next few months, Joseph made himself at home with the Vi-Siblings and they had tons of fun together. Often playing together and protecting one another from the bullies who didn't think they deserved any love. And of course, he had his fair share of antics for them to experience. Like dancing on the roof, freeing all the horses and running around with them, and pranking Marianne with a whoopie cushion and a stink bomb here and there. He even got Jeremiah involved sometimes, whether he knew so or not.

He was a nice, if not eccentric, addition to their family. And yet, Joseph felt like something was wrong, like something was missing, he wasn't sure what it was.

One day, Joseph was putting on a show about a film he watched some time ago.

"Walter hugs Dude, both sympathy and apology." Joseph said solemnly as he hugs the air. "Then suggests bowling again!" He exclaimed with joy. "At Bowling Alley, sees Cowboy again. Talk some, then says 'Dude abides...'" He says as he points his fingers in a "cool" kind of way. "The End." Joseph finally finished casually.

Lady Marianne, her children, and Euphemia, who were sitting on a couch, looked at him in confusion.

"...That's it? That's how it ends?" Lelouch asked, very confused.

"Yep-yep." Joseph said with a smile.

"But what about Bunny? Does she ever reunite with her family?" Euphemia asked.

"Did Jackie Treehorn get his money?" Marianne asked.

"Does the Dude at least get a new rug?" Nunnally asked innocently.

"Don't know. Never explained." Joseph said casually.

"...I feel confused and very unsatisfied." Lelouch grumbled, pretty much speaking for the entire group.

"First time, yes. Second time, much better." Joseph explained happily.

"Hello everyone. What's going on?" Cornelia greeted as she entered the living room.

"Hi, big sister!" Euphemia greeted warmly as she came over to hug her.

"Joseph was just telling us about the most frustrating film I ever heard about in my life." Lelouch told her, still trying to decipher the film's meaning.

"Hmm, sounds interesting. Anyway, I actually came by to tell you, Joseph, that I enrolled you in Etiquette classes. You'll start tomorrow." Cornelia told him politely.

Joseph stared at her blankly for a second.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks anyway." Joseph told her casually as he sat down with his siblings on the couch.

Cornelia's eye twitched.

"It's not up for discussion, you're going." Cornelia told him calmly but firmly.

"Wha-why!?" Joseph asked genuinely surprised.

"I've seen one of those classes, Cornelia. They're really boring." Euphemia argued.

"Yeah, boring!" Joseph agreed.

"You could fall asleep within a minute with one of those lectures." Lelouch argued as well.

"Yeah, fall asleep!" Joseph also agreed with.

"Joseph, you're about to be 14, you're at that age where you already should have started taking these classes and learning how to properly act like royalty. It's good to have knowledge of how our society works." Cornelia lectured.

Joseph just groaned and crossed his arms with a pout.

Cornelia sighed and kneeled down to his level.

"Look, I know your mother wasn't a big fan in learning this stuff, but she also believed that you shouldn't be treated with kids gloves either. That you should get the same equal treatment anyone else should, and that's what I'm trying to do here. So please, just give it a chance." Cornelia said to him in a big sister type of tone.

"Joseph, there are times you should listen to your big sister, this is one of those times." Marianne said, smiling at Cornelia in support.

Cornelia smiled back.

Joseph looked at both of them before finally sighing and muttering "Fine."

_"Who knows, maybe it won't be so bad."_ Joseph thought to himself.

...

_Pendragon_

_"This class SUCKS!" _Joseph thought grumpily to himself as he was "listening" to another lecture by Miss Alicia Lohmeyer.

Joseph didn't think he had it in his bones to hate someone but MAN was this woman cutting it close for him. She was a C*** with a capital C!

The first time he met her, he thought she already had an unpleasant attitude with her, so strict and acting all superior-like just because she was his teacher. To make matters worse, she tried to take his mother's coat away from him!

At first she tried order him to take that "rag" off as it wasn't "befitting" for a prince. After Joseph politely told her no, she tried to forcibly take it off herself, to which he responded by snatching her wrist with a tight grip and saying: "Touch coat again. You die." in a calm but very menacing tone, along with a demented look that he picked up from his mother. It was suffice to say she let him dress however he wanted after that.

That didn't change her personality though as she still only treated him with the minimum amount respect needed, like a lot of people, she only saw him as the Dimwitted Prince and didn't care for his opinions when it came to world cultures and politics, even though he literally traveled around the world, and cast them off as "childish" or just plain "dumb". She insulted these people and their way of life without even meeting them, how on Earth did that make any sense?

And to top it off, IT WAS BOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG! He felt like he could fall asleep within the first minute of the lecture, none of what she teaching was remotely interesting in his eyes and it didn't help she had such a dull tone when speaking most of the time.

If his mother had to deal with just _**ten** _seconds of this woman, she would have already kicked her teeth in and sent fire ants crawling up her legs that night!

She wasn't the only problem, Cornelia also insisted that he come to more parties to meet people and make connections, learn how to properly behave and talk at such events, watch more of the news for daily events instead of the usual cartoons and films, and even wanted him to study more classical music. It's not that he didn't like classical, it was just a little repetitive after awhile, at least with his walkman, he actually got a variety of rhythm, beats, and flow. He wasn't even allowed to have his walkman with him, Cornelia always made sure he left it behind at the Aries Villa whenever she took him to one of his lectures.

He thought about all this change that his sister and _Miss _Lohmeyer wanted him to do, how they wanted him to become someone he didn't resemble. It just wasn't him, it just wasn't in his blood.

So it was in the middle of the lecture, he made his decision.

He abruptly stood up and walked towards the window.

"Wha-Where do you think you're going Prince Joseph?! You still have an hour left of your session!" Miss Lohmeyer argued with her nagging voice.

When he got to the window, he turned back around and stared at Miss Lohmeyer with a blank face.

"Miss Lohmeyer, you most unpleasant, awful, bigoted, meanest, bitchiest, and boring-est woman on planet. And no longer wish to know." Joseph told her with a straight face and polite manner.

Miss Lohmeyer looked like she was about to have a heart attack, never in her life, has anyone ever spoken to her like that, especially not a moron.

A second later, Joseph took off his pants and showed his bare butt to her.

"Kiss it!" Joseph exclaimed as he spanked his cheek.

To which then Miss Lohmeyer shrieked and fainted on the spot. Joseph pulled his pants back up and jumped out the window

...

_Aries Villa_

Joseph strutted his way back to Aries Villa after some time, to which he was met with a very angry Cornelia, a surprised Euphemia and Nunnally, a laughing Lelouch who was trying to hold it back, and a ladylike giggling Marianne.

"Did you show your BOTTOM to your teacher!" Cornelia demanded out of him, very steamed.

"Gross!" Nunnally and Euphemia proclaimed.

"Yep." Joseph said happily. "Have announcement!" He exclaimed.

"Oh no! You are not getting out of this, this time young man! Alicia Lohmeyer is highly qualified educator who was recommended by several of my peers, and to traumatize her like that is unexcuseable!" Cornelia lectured, not letting Joseph get a word in.

"Honestly, I wish I had been there myself to witness it." Lelouch said, still trying to calm down his laughter.

"Me too." Marianne quietly added on with a chuckle.

"STOP ENCOURAGING HIM!" Cornelia yelled, pretty sure she was going to have an ulcer at this point, which just made Lelouch laugh even more.

"Guys." Joseph spoke up, waiting to say his piece.

"What! What could you possibly have to say for yourself about this!?" Cornelia demanded.

"I'm leaving." Joseph told them.

The group stared at him blankly before their expressions turned into confusion.

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Cornelia asked, her mood still in anger but now confused.

"Leaving. Going away." Joseph said casually.

Now the group was very confused.

"Wha-what do you mean 'going away'? From here, Aries Villa?" Lelouch asked, confused and a bit concerned now.

"Country itself, moving day!" Joseph cheered before walking past his befuddled family up to his room.

They stood there for a moment, trying to comprehend what he just declared. When it finally clicked in their heads, they raced up the stairs after him. They found him in his room "packing". Which was just his walkman and tape cassettes that he and his mom collected over the years, which he stuffed inside his coat.

"Hold on a minute! You're leaving Pendragon?!" Cornelia demanded.

"Yep." Joseph said casually as he stuffed more tapes his pockets.

"When exactly did you make this decision?" Marianne asked, not expecting this to happen.

"Today." Joseph said with the same casualness.

"Today? You just decided, out of the blue, to leave your country, today?!" Cornelia asked in disbelief, truly wondering if her brother had finally lost his mind.

"Naw, thought about in morning. Made decision two hours ago." Joseph said happily.

At that moment, Cornelia was very tempted to strangle her little brother, right then and there.

"But...don't you like living here with us, big brother Joe? Did we do something bad?" Nunnally asked sadly as tears started to sprout in her eyes, same with Euphemia.

"What?! Course not! Come here!" Joseph said reassurance as he lifted Nunnally into a tight hug, he also pulled Euphemia into it too. "Loved it here! Really fun! Leaving for me. Gotta." Joseph told them.

The group looked at him trying to understand.

"But why?" Lelouch asked in a timid way, feeling like the kid he was.

Joseph thought for a moment, trying to find the right words for his explanation.

"This, not me." Joseph said as he emphasized the space around him.

"What do you mean?" Marianne asked.

"This life, royalty, not for me." Joseph explained as he walked out of his room, his family closely following him, except Nunnally who stayed behind for a moment..

"You don't like being a prince?" Euphemia asked, trying to figure out her brother.

"Don't like requirements. The rules, the motto: strong survive, weak die, blah blah blah. Not into it." Joseph explained as he slid down the rail of the staircase as he often liked to do.

"You're going to leave for such a petty reason!? For goodness sake, you can't think you can just continue being a kid, can you?!" Cornelia asked, trying to comprehend all this.

"Um Corn, everyone becomes adult later, always." Joseph explained to her as if it was obvious, which just aggravated her even more. "Gonna get older, do own way, no one else's. Besides, like me, why change me?" Joseph explained with a smile.

They could see that he was really serious about this, they then heard Nunnally come down the stairs with a frame in her hands. Inside was a picture of her, Lelouch, Euphemia, and Joseph together, hugging and smiling at the camera.

"At least take this with you, so you don't forget us." Nunnally said timidly, sad to see her brother going.

Joseph smiled at Nunnally and gave her another tight hug. "Never forget family!" He reassured her and then proceeding to poke her on the nose, which made her giggle. He took the photo out of the frame, not breaking it this time, as he knew that would just piss off Cornelia even more than she is now, and then folded the picture and put it in his walkman case.

"Okay, let's back up a second, no one is saying goodbye. Where exactly do you plan on going?" Cornelia asked in a calm mood, trying to tone down her anger.

"Out of Pendragon." Joseph said simply.

"I mean after that?" Cornelia asked while grinding her teeth in frustration.

"Don't know, wherever." Joseph said simply again as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I see, and how exactly do you plan on getting around?" Cornelia asked, already not liking where the conversation was going.

"Don't know" Joseph said again with simplicity.

"How do you plan on paying for everything?"

"Don't know"

"What do you expect to eat out there?"

"Don't know"

"Exactly! You don't know! Which is why this whole "leaving Pendragon" idea is completely ridiculous!" Cornelia argued.

"I have to agree, you should at least have some sort of plan before going off on a venture like this." Lelouch said.

"Gotta try." Joseph said with confidence.

"WHY?! Why do you suddenly feel compelled to do this?! To just leave everything and everyone behind! I demand an explanation that's more than just you not liking how things are done here in Britannia!" Cornelia asked angrily.

"NOT HAPPY!" Joseph shouted.

There was a moment of silence. Joseph took a deep breath.

"Love you guys. Love spending time with. But...not same since mom gone, not sad but...feels less somehow. These preparations for future, feel more less than before. Want more more again. Don't care what happens next, want happiness now! Mom said do what feel right, this feel right. So doing it." Joseph explained solemnly.

This surprised the group, they never knew he felt like this.

"Well, what about father? Are you going to tell him about this?" Cornelia asked.

"Can if you want." Joseph said casually, knowing his dad wouldn't do anything to prevent him from leaving.

Cornelia rubbed her face in aggravation, clearly not getting through to him. She turned to Marianne.

"Marianne, you're his legal guardian, maybe you can talk to him." Cornelia said tiredly.

Marianne approached him, took a deep breath, and looked at Joseph with a sad but understanding look.

"Your mother once told me that all she wanted for you was to be happy with the life you had. And while I like to think I have tried doing that for you in the best way possible, maybe you have different ambitions on what that feeling is for you. And who am I to judge those feelings? So while I don't necessarily like this decision of yours, I certainly won't stop you from proceeding." Marianne said to him gently but understanding.

"What!" Cornelia said to Marianne in shock.

"Best Aunt Ever!" Joseph said as he pulled Marianne into a tight hug, who in return chuckled and patted his head.

"You must be joking, Lady Marianne!" Cornelia asked, not believing this what happened.

"Come now Cornelia, you took up military training at the age of 9." Marianne told her encouragingly.

"Yes, but I was surrounded by _**peers** _and **_supervisors_**! He's basically jumping out of a plane without a parachute!" Cornelia argued.

"No plane jumping. Walking from house." Joseph explained simply.

Cornelia then screamed through gritted teeth into her hands in aggravation.

Lelouch approached him with a sad look on his face.

"Is this really what you want to do, Joseph? I mean, how do you know this will fill that void again?" Lelouch asked solemnly.

"I don't. But always try. Not work, try different way. So on and on." Joseph explained with a smile, it was strange theory, but for him, it worked.

Lelouch sighed and took out his wallet.

"Here, this is my allowance I collected over the last month. Use it as you see fit on your endeavors." Lelouch said as he pulled out at least 200 dollars.

"Oh come on, bro." Joseph said, not wanting to take his brother's hard earned cash.

"Take it. Look, considering what kind of person you are, I don't think many people will believe you are an actual prince, no offense, so don't be afraid to take a handout every once in awhile." Lelouch lectured him.

_"Well, mom did say it was rude to not accept a gift. Especially when it helps you out later on."_ Joseph thought to himself as he took Lelouch's cash.

"Thanks, little brother." Joseph said as he pulled Lelouch into a tight hug as well.

"Please be safe out there." Lelouch said quietly and sadly as he returned the hug, tear starting to sprout from his eyes.

"I'm going with you!" Euphemia shouted, surprising everyone, including Joseph.

"Absolutely not!" Cornelia yelled, putting her foot down at that suggestion.

Euphemia tried to argue, but surprisingly, Joseph stepped in on this.

"She right. My journey, not yours." Joseph told her in a big brother tone.

"But-" Euphemia didn't get to argue as Joseph put a finger to her lips.

"Lot more growing to do. Don't worry, have journey eventually. But this mine. Okay?" Joseph told her wisely.

"...Okay..." Euphemia quietly said as tears ran down her eyes and she hugged her brother tightly.

"Come on, group hug!" Joseph cheered, inviting everyone else in.

Marianne, Lelouch, and Nunnally happily joined in on that hug.

"Love you guys!" Joseph exclaimed happily.

"We love you too!" The group told him tearfully.

Except Cornelia, who just stood by with her arms cross, refusing to be apart of this fiasco.

"Come on, Corn." Joseph said, trying to peer pressure her into the hug.

"No. I'm not saying goodbye to you, it'll be wasted once you realize this was a stupid idea and you come back." Cornelia said stubbornly as she refused to look at him.

Joseph sighed, knowing how stubborn his sister can be sometimes, so he made it easy for the both of them. He went over and pulled her into a tight hug as well, even lifting her off the ground, which surprised her.

"Bye big sister, love you lots and lots. Regards to Darlton and Captain Buzzkill." Joseph told her sweetly. Cornelia just sighed.

...

The group watched Joseph leave from the hill top they hung out at, he waved goodbye as he walked away from them through the grassy plains.

"Bye guys!" Joseph yelled to them as he continued waving.

"We'll miss you, big brother Joe!" Nunnally yelled as she waved goodbye.

"Please write back!" Euphemia yelled as she waved goodbye as well.

Marianne just gave a simple wave and a smile.

"Don't do anything stupid or reckless!" Lelouch yelled, also waving goodbye.

"No promises!" Joseph yelled back happily.

Cornelia simply rolled her eyes at the exchange, still bitter this was actually being allowed.

"You really think he's going to come back?" Marianne asked.

"Trust me, he'll come to his senses in a day or two." Cornelia told her in reassurance.

"...We'll see." Is all Marianne said, doubting it was actually going to happen.

...

Joseph finally made it to the desert area that was on the outskirts of the Pendragon border, people eyed him wondering what he was doing, but they paid him no mind.

When he reached the top of a sandy hill, he looked at the land before him. And it was sand, a lot of sand, no signs of life for miles.

But Joseph wasn't scared, in fact, he was excited.

Because he felt something in himself, something he hadn't felt in awhile.

**Free**

So with that, he took a deep breath and started walking down the hill into the desert.

He picked up the pace and that walk soon became a jog, and soon enough that jog became a full-blown run!

He whipped his arms out as he felt the wind blow through his face, laughing in joy.

He didn't know what lied ahead of him, but whatever would happen, he would look forward to it with anticipation and enthusiasm.

...

_A Week Later_

_Pendragon_

Cornelia entered the throne room and kneeled before his majesty, Emperor Charles Zi Britannia.

"Hail, your majesty! It has been a week since your child, Prince Joseph Du Britannia, has left Pendragon on his own." Cornelia told him with her head down.

"And why does this concern me now?" Charles asked in a firm but nonchalant tone.

"I had thought that he would have been back by now, by it seems I miscalculated. I humbly request you let me and some soldiers search for him." Cornelia asked in a professional manner.

"Request denied." Charles immediately shot down, firmly.

Cornelia looked up in shock.

"But your high-"

"I am not going to waste military resources on a single child, prince or not. I admit, him leaving on his own was courageous if not stupid, but if he dies out there, it's not my concern. And frankly, that dimwit was no longer was my responsibility the moment his bitch of a mother died." Charles told her.

Cornelia's blood boiled at that moment as she the tighten the fist that was on the ground. Charles raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something you want to say to me, Cornelia? Or would you like it if I sent Princess Euphemia out to an Area for political negotiations?" Charles asked in a calm but frightening tone.

At this, Cornelia was able to calm down.

"No, your highness...at the very least, let me look for him on my own time." Cornelia requested, hoping to get something from this meeting.

"No. The war in India is starting to come to a stand still and I want you to go there immediately to end it. That is all, you are dismissed." Charles ordered, not letting her say another word.

Cornelia took a deep breath.

"As you wish, your majesty." Cornelia quietly said as she rose up and gave a bow to her father, she left feeling disgruntled and defeated.

...

The first few weeks proved to be tough for Joseph, as he had to deal with the forces of nature. From deserts to swamps, wastelands to forests to even war zones, it all proved to be a challenge for him.

Luckily for him, he had his teachings from his Sensei to fall back on. And one of those teachings was to learn to adapt to the environment around him, and use it to his advantage.

So with that, he taught himself how to hunt, make or find shelter, and use whatever resources that were there for him. And it didn't hurt to fall back on a film or two to help guide him, especially when one of them is literally about a man trapped on an island for _four_ years. When he couldn't afford food, he found substitutes such as tree bark and things that grew in nature.

This is all helped him to grow stronger too, as he made sure to keep in shape, he couldn't travel well if he let his muscles lax too much. He made sure to do plenty of running, plenty of pushups and situps. He also made sure to practice the fighting techniques that Tohdoh taught him, he never knew when he would get into a fight.

And of course, he loved jumping. He took every chance to do so, whether it be up trees or on hills, it was super fun for him.

And with his legs getting stronger, he was able to jump higher,

and higher,

and higher.

Feeling the air rushing through his face was an experience like no other.

Over the years, he dealt with his fair share of people. Some were nice and generous, some were cruel and harsh, and some Joseph felt like they were just having a bad day. He also witnessed his fair share of events, some from a distance, some right in the middle of it, both were very exciting for him.

All in all, it was suffice to say he was truly happy with his life.

_2017_

_Area 11 – Highway_

The air was nice and crisp that morning, it was so nice that Joseph decided to take a deep breath in of all of it. He spread his arm outs to make sure the sunlight engulfed his entire being as he closed his eyes and a long smile formed on his face. He blissfully walked on the ledge of the highway leading to the vast city that was Tokyo and did a quick spin in 360-degree fashion, kicking his leg out while doing so. He could have walked on the sidewalk like any other person, but this was a lot more fun.

"_Yep, today's going to be a good day." _Joseph thought to himself.

Sure there was a ghetto a few miles away that had innocent people suffering, and he didn't have much breakfast either, but Joseph wasn't going to let that be a downer. After all, he could have some tree bark later if needed. What mattered is that he had his health, his coat, and most importantly…

His music.

He grabbed his Walkman from the belt sleeve of his pants and opened the slot, there's a tape in there labeled "_Spring Tunes Vol. 22"_. He decided to put the tape back in his collection for now and save the rest of it for a later time if the situation called for it, right now he needed something to go along with his one favorite activities. Walking.

Therefore, he quickly got out his tape that was labeled _"Walking Music"_. He examined the cassette to make sure it was rewound all the way to the beginning, he was glad to see he remembered to do so _this time_ and inserted it into the slot of the Walkman. He was about to press the play button when he heard a faint sound coming from behind him, and it was getting louder.

He turned around and saw something he hadn't seen in a long time.

It was a fiery phoenix.

And it was coming right towards him.

Screaming and glaring at Joseph with a weird symbol in its eye.

...

Joseph woke up with a gasp. He breathed in and out as he tried to comprehend that very realistic dream that just occurred.

"Ah man, that was a weird-ass nightmare just now." Joseph said to himself, before realizing something.

"Wait a minute.(His hand going to his mouth) Did I just speak in a complete sentence? Did I just speak another one?" Joseph asked himself, completely flabbergasted.

He looked at his surroundings and saw he wasn't in Narita. Or in a bed. In fact, from the looks of it, he wasn't anywhere.

He was floating in the middle of a black, endless void.

"And where the Hell am I?!" Joseph asked, feeling completely lost for the first time in a long time.

_To be Continued..._

**WHEW! Man, this chapter took me a shorter time to write but somehow it's also my longest one to date, clocking in at almost 12,000 words!** **Anyway, that's the last of the flashback chapters, as we'll be getting back to the canon of the show. As for what exactly was the thing that helped Joseph get out of depression? That's something that will be revealed later on in the series. I will have flashback moments occur like before that will show more tidbits of his home life, his six month trip around the world, and what he did during his seven-and-a-half years of travel. But I doubt I will make an actual flashback chapter for awhile, if ever again. I hope you enjoyed reading more insight of Joseph's past and look forward in reading about how he got himself into this predicament and what he plans to do to get out of it. Let me know what you think, laters! **


	19. Grateful!

_Darkness..._

_For the longest time, that's all what Nunnally could associate with when it came to her sight. _

_She had gotten used to it, and never held a complaint. However, there were times she missed the colors of a flower or the brightness of the sun, or the face that belonged to her beloved brother Lelouch._

_So it came to her surprise and utter shock when she realized that even though she was surrounded by darkness, she was able to her hands and feet, floating around._

_"I...can see?" Nunnally asked herself._

_Before she could ponder on it more, she suddenly heard a faint sound from the distance. She looked up and saw a figure._

_Curious, she moved closer to get a better look at the figure. She didn't recognize him at first, he had short but thick brown-reddish hair along with a beard that while encompassed his face, wasn't very long._

_What really got her attention was the coat he was wearing though. The patches, the stitches, she saw them before a long time ago on her Aunt Rebecca, and the other being..._

_"Joseph?" Nunnally asked. "Huh, he really does look kind of homeless..." She thought to herself._

_"Hello! Anybody here?!" Joseph shouted to the abyss, breaking Nunnally out of her thoughts._

_"Uh, Joseph, I'm right here." Nunnally said to him as she waved to him, trying to get his attention._

_"Hello! Someone!? Olly-Olly-Oxenfree!" Joseph shouted, not even noticing her._

_"Joe? Can you hear-" Nunnally didn't get to finish as she suddenly hit some sort of invisible barrier._

_"Okay, seriously, this ain't funny guys! Come on!" Joseph shouted to the abyss looking at his surroundings, still not noticing Nunnally._

_"Joe, I'm right here!" Nunnally shouted, banging on the barrier, trying to get his attention._

_Instead, he just flew further into the abyss, calling out for someone, anyone to answer him._

_"JOE!" Nunnally shouted, trying with all her might to get through the barrier, to no avail._

_And she woke up shouting for her brother._

_..._

_Ashford Academy - Student Council Meeting Room_

"A seizure?" A confused and concerned Milly asked Suzaku as she and the rest of the Council were gathered around for an emergency meeting that Lelouch called.

"Yes, I don't know the exact details. But apparently he started having convulsions that led to him to being unconscious and sustaining a head injury." Suzaku said sadly, knowing that, once again, he wasn't able to do anything for his friend.

"And this was away from the battlefield?" Kallen asked concerned, wondering if her actions at Narita may have caused it.

He may be a Prince of Britannia, but he still helped her mother when she really needed it, she felt grateful for that.

"Yes, Viceroy Cornelia had already gotten him miles away from the battlefield when it happened. As far as I know, there was no explanation as to why it occurred." Suzaku said

"I can't believe he was ballsy enough to go out there in the first place, and to save Shirley's dad no less! (To Shirley)Man, we definitely got lucky on becoming friends with him when we did, huh?!" Rivalz said in awe, still not completely over of how badass Joseph had acted out there.

"He would have tried saving more people than just my father if he have had more time, Rivalz! It's not just because we're friends!" Shirley lashed out at him, surprising the group.

"Uh, r-right. Sorry." Rivalz apologized with shame.

"(Sighs) No, I'm sorry. It's just that...Joseph has done such a kind and courageous act. An act that even knowing that he could have died, he still risked his life to make sure my father lived another day. The other scenario where neither of them would have made it out is something I can't even imagine, Joseph saved me from that heart break, and I can't even properly thank him for it. It's just not fair!" Shirley said with sadness and anger as she wiped sprouting tears from her eyes.

Lelouch and Kallen looked down in shame, knowing it was their fault that Joseph and Shirley's father had such a close brush to death.

_"They almost died because of me..."_ Lelouch and Kallen both thought to themselves shamefully.

What made it worse for them was knowing the fact that Joseph and Shirley's father were the only survivors of that landslide from that town. Over 50 casualties at least, and Lelouch didn't think about the repercussions.

He didn't think about the innocent civilians that were just going about their day, how they weren't expecting their town to be become part of a battlefield, how that his brother's and his Shirley's father's lives could have been taken by his hand, all he cared about in that moment was victory.

And while he may not have suffered too much loss with his revolution, he definitely suffered a loss of moral.

The same went for Kallen.

Back in Narita, she felt pride, excitement, reassurance knowing now that she and her group finally had a fighting chance to defeat Britannia. But knowing what she knows now, she felt like she could hang up her headband right then and there.

How could she go forward knowing that she was the reason that so many innocent lives were lost that day, that one of them could have been her friend's father, a friend who she actually come to like?

And then there was Joseph, his sudden appearance was both baffling and annoying all at the same time. But learning what he did prior to interfering with her battle with Cornelia, she couldn't help but hold some respect for him.

She always thought he was just crazy and stupid, he still is of course, but now she could see that he was truly a selfless person. Not only did he save his mother from the addiction of refrain, he chose to risk his life and save this guy instead of hightailing out of there to save himself, knowing that the man could have slowed him down or cost him a second too late. That was something to admire at the very least.

But now he was in a coma, fighting for his life, and Kallen can't help but feel fear about whether or not he'll make it.

"Is there anyway we can see him?! You're childhood friends with him, Milly! Can't you arrange something?!" Nina spoke up frantically.

"This isn't like old times Nina, my family doesn't have the same kind of pull as they did before." Milly said sadly.

"What about you Suzaku!? You said that you have spoken with Princess Euphemia yourself! Can't you convince her to let us visit?!" Nina asked with panic.

"It's not that simple Nina. I'm just a Warrant Officer in the army, and I don't think the Viceroy would like it if an Eleven were to visit her brother." Suzaku said sadly.

"WHY NOT!? Princess Euphemia met us back the Lake Kawaguchi hotel, she knows we're his friends! Please! Even if it's just for five minutes-"

"Nina! Calm down!" Lelouch shouted, surprising the group, he let out a depressed sigh. "Look, I'm scared for Joseph too. But panicking isn't going to help his case, the only thing we can do right now is wait and hope for the best." He told her gently.

Nina looked down in sadness, knowing he was right.

"The least we can do is make a card for him. Let him know we're thinking of him." Surprisingly, it was Kallen who suggested it.

"...That probably wouldn't be a problem." Suzaku said after thinking about it for a moment. "I could make it sure it gets delivered to the Sub-Viceroy the next time-"

"I'll go get paper!" Nina interrupted as she raced out of the meeting room, the group looked on in surprise.

"Well, she's definitely for it." Milly joked. "Good idea Kallen." She said giving her a thumbs up as she followed after Nina.

"It's not a big deal, really." Kallen said quietly as she followed Milly, surprised herself that she suggested it.

"We should get one of those cards that have music attached to them!" Rivalz suggested with enthusiasm.

"But making a card feels much more personal doesn't it?" Suzaku countered.

"Yeah, but he loves music! Maybe a song will wake him up!" Rivalz theorized.

"Ugh! Rivalz!" Shirley chided him for being ridiculous.

"Oh come on! You know Joseph would have suggested that too!" Rivalz came back with.

They then noticed that Lelouch hadn't moved from his spot.

"Hey, you okay Lelouch?" Rivalz asked.

"Um, yeah...just a lot on my mind is all." Lelouch said quietly.

Shirley and Suzaku knew something was up, they looked at each other and nodded.

"Rivalz, how about you go catch up with them. We'll be right there." Shirley suggested.

"Uh, sure." Rivalz said confused but didn't push the subject.

Once he left, Suzaku and Shirley took seats next to Lelouch.

"How's Nunnally doing?" Suzaku asked gently.

"She's taking it real hard. He just got back into our lives and now it feels like she's losing him all over again." Lelouch said sadly.

"And how are you?" Shirley asked with concern.

"I'm pulling through. I mean, I know Joseph, I'm sure he'll be ok. But I feel so damn useless right now, knowing I can't do anything for him." Lelouch said with anger as he gripped his knuckles.

He suddenly felt a hand gently grasp his own.

"Please don't put that mindset on yourself Lelouch, you don't deserve that." Shirley said gently.

"Yeah, it's not like it's your fault." Suzaku said.

_"Except that maybe it is."_ Lelouch thought regretfully.

...

_Last Night_

_Student Council Building_

_Nunnally cried into Lelouch's shoulder after he told her about the condition of their brother. Shirley had went home as they both agreed that a date night just wasn't appropriate right now given the situation. _

_"Lelouch...is our family cursed?" Nunnally asked quietly._

_Lelouch hissed a breath, given what happened to Aunt Rebecca, his mother, and his sister's condition. He often wondered the same thing._

_"I...I don't know, Nunnally." Was the only answer he could think of telling her. "But I do know just how stubborn Joseph can be. And he's not going to let some head injury keep him from bouncing off the walls for too long. I have faith, and so should you, okay?" Lelouch asked her, mellowing her fear.  
_

_"...Okay." Nunnally said with a shaky smile as she wiped her tears._

_After he put her back to bed, he marched straight to his bedroom where C.C. was lazily lying on his bed._

_"Was it you?" Lelouch asked with a glare._

_C.C. looked backed at him with a neutral look, not intimidated at all._

_"You're going to need to be more specific, boy." C.C. said with a bored tone._

_"What you did to Suzaku back at Narita! Is that the reason why Joseph is in a coma?" Lelouch asked angrily._

_"What makes you so sure I had something to do with it?" C.C. asked with the same bored tone._

_"Well let's see, as far as I'm aware and what I was told; Joseph was perfectly fine when Cornelia took him away from the battlefield but before the retreat was sounded, so the seizure must have occurred somewhere between that time. And considering his strange immunity to Geass, which would normally take you away from the equation, becomes more concerning when you obviously haven't told me all of what this power could do. So the only conclusion I can come up with is what I saw within you at Narita." Lelouch calculated intensely._

_"Or maybe he just hit his head a few too many times." C.C. offhandedly._

_"Damn it C.C., are you my ally or not!" Lelouch yelled in anger._

_Now it was C.C. turn to look at him in accusation. _

_"The answer to that should be obvious. We have a contract." C.C. said a bit annoyed now._

_"Then stop dicking me around and tell me what's going on with my brother!" Lelouch demanded._

_They stared at each other for a moment, before C.C. finally sighed._

_"Fine. When I sent those mental images to Suzaku, I could feel your brother's presence there as well, as if he was a witness himself. I don't know how or why, but Joseph has a connection to Geass." C.C. explained._

_Lelouch looked at her in shock._

_"Is...is he immortal like you?" Lelouch asked her quietly._

_"I doubt it. He wouldn't still have his scars and his pinkie would have grown back by now if that was the case." C.C. told him._

_"Then what could it be?! I thought you were the expert on this stuff! The 'Jedi Master'!" Lelouch mocked at the end._

_"First off, don't call me that. Second, just because I lived longer than anybody else with this power, doesn't mean I know everything about it!" C.C. said annoyed._

_Lelouch groaned in aggravation, but then realized something._

_"His mother..." Lelouch said in realization._

_C.C. raised her eyebrow at that._

_"You think that 'cure' of hers has something to do with Geass?" C.C. asked._

_"It may very well be. Cornelia told me herself that Joseph was on the brink of dying when Rebecca took him away. Still, it doesn't explain his immunity." Lelouch said quietly, trying to figure it all out._

_"Well, she's obviously not going to be able to give you any answers on the account that she's dead. As for Joseph, you'll just have to wait and see if he wakes up." C.C. told him._

_"**When **he wakes up." Lelouch insisted._

_C.C. shrugged her shoulders._

_"If you say so." C.C. said politely._

_Lelouch just looked down in frustration._

_C.C. could see that this wasn't the only thing on his mind._

_"Do you regret it? That your brother and your friend's father was caught up in all this? You were just accusing Kirihara of being too soft. What happened to the path of blood?" C.C. asked him._

_"Shut up." Lelouch said quietly._

_"But it turns out you're the soft one. Did you think this was all just a game? You've already killed your fair share of people. By hand, or words more often than not." C.C. said matter-of-factly. _

_"Just shut up." Lelouch said a bit louder._

_"All of them left behind a family. All had lovers and friends. Are you really telling me you hadn't grasped that yet? I would have thought you to be better prepared." C.C. started to say with a mocking tone._

_"Just shut up! I am prepared! I have been from the moment I killed Clovis!" Lelouch exclaimed in anger._

_"Then why this hesitation? One brother and one friend and you go to pieces? So for all your preening and posturing, you're really just a spoiled little boy with a swollen head and a big fat mouth." C.C. said mockingly._

_She was pushed down onto the bed and held by shoulders by Lelouch with a furious look on his face._

_"You ran way too deep to be turning back now. You've passed the point of no return." C.C. told him bluntly._

_He gritted his teeth at her._

_"Oni-sama? Is everything okay?" Nunnally called out to him, probably hearing the muffled yelling from her room._

_"Uh, yes Nunnally, hold on, I'll be right there." Lelouch told her as he got off C.C._

_"__You need a reason for living, don't you? You're not going to disappoint me, are you?" C.C. asked him, already knowing his answer_

_Lelouch just stared at her before going to check on Nunnally._

...

_"Do I have what it takes? Can I push forward knowing that the people I care about could get hurt in the process? Damn it!" _Lelouch thought to himself.

"We have to remain optimistic right? Don't worry Lelouch, with the technology we have, I'm sure Joseph will be back dancing on the table in no time!" Shirley said cheerfully.

"Yeah. I even look forward to one of his noogies." Suzaku said with optimism.

Lelouch and Shirley couldn't help but chuckle.

"And I didn't get to say it before, but I'm really glad your father is okay Shirley. How's he doing?" Suzaku asked.

"Really good actually. Having a close brush with death can really open a person's eyes apparently as he's been doting on me and mom for the past couple of days, I feel like a 10 year old girl again." Shirley giggled.

"I'm just glad Joseph got him out of there." Suzaku said happily until his demeanor turned more sad and solemn. "Still, there's all those other people in the town who lost their lives to the landslide."

"So many people..." Shirley said sadly.

"And it's all because of Zero and his people, they probably didn't care about the town that was down there. Their methods are just cowardly. He doesn't even get his hands dirty. He stirs people into a frenzy, tips the world into chaos, and then sits back and congratulates himself. It's not going to change a thing. Anything gained through his kind of tactics are just meaningless." Suzaku said with anger.

It was hard for Lelouch to keep his hurt expression hidden, but somewhere deep inside him, he thought he was right.

"Isn't that a little harsh Suzaku? I mean, who's to say that Zero even knew there was a town down there in the first place." Shirley said, which surprised Lelouch.

"Would you be asking that if your father was one of the victims Shirley?" Suzaku asked her.

Now it was Shirley's turn to look shocked and hurt.

"Suzaku!" Lelouch scolded.

Realizing his blunder, Suzaku put his head down in shame.

"Forgive me, Shirley! That was a very insensitive question to ask!" Suzaku said apologetically.

"It's okay, Suzaku. You were just trying to make a point. The truth is, I often thought about that myself, try as I might to not do so. How broken I would have been, how angry I would have been at Zero for his actions, how it all would have conflicted inside of me." Shirley said quietly.

Lelouch and Suzaku look at her in sympathy, though a touch of regret for Lelouch.

"Which is why I choose to be grateful instead. Grateful that he's still here with us, grateful that I still get to wish him a good morning and give him a kiss on the cheek, grateful that even though I only spent five minutes with him so far today, it's five minutes I know I can cherish now. And that's better than being angry, isn't it?" Shirley ending her speech with a genuine, happy smile.

Lelouch and Suzaku look at her surprise but then they smiled, Lelouch especially.

"Hey! Are you guys coming or what?" Rivalz called out to them, poking his head in the room.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Come on guys." Shirley said happily as she got up from her seat.

Lelouch and Suzaku followed after her. For Lelouch, he now had determination, and it would begin with a phone call he would make to Ohgi later on today.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

_Medical Facility_

Euphemia and Cornelia calmly waited inside a doctor's office, with a window between them to show Joseph still sleeping.

Cornelia had taken the liberty to trim his bread to make sure it didn't get too thick. She always tried to get him to shave the whole thing off as she thought it made him look like a southern Area 3 hillbilly, but he firmly put his foot down on the subject matter, saying he thought it was cool. And she knew Euphemia would be mad if she cut it all clean off his face.

A middle-aged doctor finally came in with a medical file about Joseph, yet he had a rather awkward look on his face. The princesses could see this.

"Is everything alright Doctor? Oh God, has Joseph's condition become worse?" Euphemia asked concerned.

"Oh, nonono. Forgive me, your highness, it's not that that. It's...honestly, I'm not sure how I can explain this without it being nonsensical." The doctor said with trepidation and bluntness.

This confused the princesses to no end.

"What do you mean?" Cornelia asked.

The doctor pulled out an MRI scan of Joseph's brain and put it on the wall.

"As you know, you had Prince Joseph come in for a brain scan when he first appeared back at the Viceroy Palace. This is an MRI of his brain, as you can see, half of the sectors of his brain that are lit up are the active anomalies. The other half is-"

"Dead matter, I know Doctor. His condition hasn't changed since he was kid, can you please get to the point." Cornelia told him, getting impatient.

The doctor pulled out another MRI scan.

"This, is the brain scan we did of your brother the other day." The doctor told them, not sure how they were going to react.

He put the MRI on the wall and the sisters gasped in surprise and shock.

"His brain..." Cornelia said in shock.

"It's...healed?" Euphemia asked in equal shock and hesitation.

The MRI showed all sectors of his brain lit up.

"Everything. It's as if it was never damaged in the first place." The doctor said, just as surprise as they were.

"But...how...?" Euphemia asked, still in shock by the revelation.

"Are you sure this isn't some glitch in your machinery?" Cornelia asked, wanting to make sure she wasn't being played for a fool.

"We ran the scan six times on three different machines, your highness. They all came out with the same results." The doctor told her as he showed her copies of the MRI scan.

"I don't understand! How can he be in a coma and suddenly have a normal functioning brain!?" Cornelia asked, trying to wrap her head around this.

"I wish that was the craziest part of my findings, your highness. But that actually brings me to my next subject." The doctor said in an awkward manner.

The princesses eyed him, wondering just what the Hell could be more bizarre than what they just heard.

"When it comes to coma patients, brain activity becomes very low. Basic functions like breathing and sleeping are the only things that remain active." The doctor explained as he took out an iPad and showed a video of brain waves to the princesses, they were dimly lit and barely moving.

"These brain waves are from a coma patient I treated a few years ago. As you can see, very low movement if any." The doctor explained. He swiped to another video with more brain waves, this time more brightly lit and making many movements. "And this is a regularly active brain. Everything functioning as normal." He explained further.

"What does this have to do with Joseph?" Cornelia asked, intrigued where he was going with this.

"This brain activity, is what's going on inside his majesty's mind right now." The doctor finally concluded.

This earned him flabbergasted looks from the princesses.

"W-wait a minute! Are you saying that my brother is both in a coma...and awake at the same time?!" Cornelia asked, not sure what was real anymore.

"Like I said, Viceroy. No matter how I explained it, it wasn't going to make any sense." The doctor said, just as troubled as her.

Euphemia then made the choice to go into the next room where Joseph was, she stared at his sleeping form.

"So...does that mean he can hear us?" Euphemia asked quietly.

"I honestly don't know, your highness. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this myself right now. Nothing in the medical books explains this." The doctor told her.

Cornelia looked at her brother in thought.

"Give us a moment, doctor." Cornelia quietly ordered.

"Of course." The doctor politely said as he bowed and left the room.

Euphemia gently grabbed her brother's hand.

"Are you there, Joe?" Euphemia asked quietly in a hopeful tone.

No response from Joseph, he just laid there peacefully.

"If you can hear me, squeeze my hand...come on Joe...just squeeze." Euphemia said quietly.

She waited in anticipation as she looked at his hand, waiting for movement.

...

_The Next Day_

_Ashford Academy_

Classes had ended and Lelouch was making his way out of Ashford.

_"Ohgi should be gathering the Black Knights later today, should that newsman's information be accurate, we may have another operation."_ Lelouch thought to himself.

"Hey, Lulu!" Shirley shouted at him from behind, he turned around and saw her running up to him.

"Oh, Shirley. What's up?" Lelouch greeted her casually.

"I was wondering, I figured that maybe since we canceled our night out because of what happened to Joseph and we could both probably use the distraction, maybe we could...perhaps...reschedule?" Shirley asked awkwardly, red in the face, with a tiny voice at the end.

Lelouch looked at her in surprise, not expecting to hear that today. Shirley saw his look and got scared.

"Ah, I'm sorry Lulu! It's totally not appropriate to ask this right now! Forget I even said anything!" Shirley said frantically, turning away in shame and embarrassment.

But then she felt a hand tug at her wrist.

"Shirley, wait!" Lelouch said to her, stopping her in her tracks as she looked at him in surprise.

"I would love to actually." Lelouch said happily.

Shirley went wide-eyed at this, blushing ferociously.

"R-really?" Shirley asked nervously.

"Yeah. Like you said, a distraction is good right now. Plus, I would like to make up for the fact I was late for our first supposed-get together." Lelouch told her warmly.

"Well to be fair, we were both late." Shirley chuckled, as did Lelouch.

"Anyway, I'm free tomorrow. We can find a place then." Lelouch told her.

"Great! I'll see you then!" Shirley said excitedly.

"You too." Lelouch told her happily.

Lelouch went on his way again when he remembered something.

"Oh Shirley, one more thing." Lelouch said to her.

"Hmmm? Yes, Lulu?" Shirley asked curiously.

"Thank you. For what you said, about being grateful. It really helped actually." Lelouch said with gratitude.

Shirley looked at him with surprise but then put on a smile and blushed.

"Of course, Lulu. Glad I could help." Shirley said kindly.

After that, they both went their separate ways. Once Lelouch was out of sight, Shirley couldn't help but do a celebration dance she learned from Joseph awhile back.

_"Yes! A real, official date with Lulu! Of course, he never said it was date. But that's okay, I'll make it one!" _Shirley thought to herself with confidence.

Not knowing that a silver-haired man with headphones and a visor on was following her from a distance.

...

_Ashford Academy_

_Kallen's Room_

Kallen stared at her with laptop that had photos of her family and friends on it. She was particularly looking at one that had her friends from the student council and a certain prince doing a tango dance with Kallen, a bit by force on his part as she remembered that he suddenly grabbed her out of nowhere and brought her out to the dance floor. He had his tongue sticking out to the camera and Kallen had an embarrassed blush on her face. Kallen stared at it conflicted.

"Are you alright dear?" Naomi, called out to her.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry, Kaa-san, I was just thinking is all." Kallen said quietly.

"Thinking about Joseph?" Naomi asked concerned.

"Well...not just him, Shirley's father as well. I mean, they were both so close to dying with all those other people from that town." Kallen said quietly.

"I know honey, it's a scary thought. But, at least they're both okay. And I'm sure Joseph will come out of that coma eventually." Naomi told her with a gentle smile.

"Thanks Kaa-san." Kallen told her with a fake smile, still feeling conflicted.

"You know, you being so concerned with Joseph only proves-"

"Mother..." Kallen said in an aggravated tone.

...

_ASEEC Base_

"I have some news, Suzaku. We've just got word from Cornelia's Royal Guard. We're on deck for the next operation." Lloyd told him.

Suzaku looked at him in surprise.

"Are they acknowledging your skill or do they need another decoy?" Lloyd asked nonchalantly.

"Oh Lloyd, care for another lesson in proper social etiquette? You look like you have some time to kill." Cecile asked him kindly as she brought in some tea.

"Oh, I'll have to take a pass on that." Lloyd said offhandedly.

Before he could continue, they saw a certain sub-viceroy come into the base.

"Princess Euphemia!" Suzaku and Cecile said as they saluted and curtsied to her.

"Hello there, Sub-Viceroy. I didn't expect to see you here today." Lloyd greeted casually.

"The Viceroy insisted I take some time away from the medical facility to clear my head. I still have my duties after all." Euphemia said in a professional manner.

"How is Prince Joseph, your highness?" Cecile asked gently.

"Still the same, though we're being hopeful." Euphemia told them reassuringly.

"Indeed, I have a feeling this isn't the first time he hit his head so I'm sure he'll make a quick recovery." Lloyd said cheerfully. To which Cecile slapped him in the back of the head and started to reprimand him for his behavior.

"Uh, sorry about him. He's like that all the time." Suzaku said apologetically.

"It's okay, to be honest, Joseph has taken his fair share of hits to the head." Euphemia admitted awkwardly with a chuckle.

Suzaku chuckled as he remembered half of those hits were probably by him during their training days. Then he remembered something.

"Oh. Before I forget, I wanted to give you this." Suzaku said as he took something out of his coat pocket.

He handed it to Euphemia and she could see it was a handmade card. It said "Get Well Soon, Joe!" on the front.

"Joseph's friends from the student council at Ashford Academy were worried about him, so we all made a card for him. Hope that's okay." Suzaku told her gently.

Euphemia examined the card and the notes that were written inside, wishing him well, hoping to see him soon, and to "Eat That Horse!" Tears couldn't help but sprout from her eyes.

"Ah-forgive me, your highness. It wasn't my intention to upset you." Suzaku said, bowing his head in shame.

"No, no. It's not that, I'm...I'm grateful." Euphemia said happily as she wiped her tears.

Suzaku looked up at her in surprise.

"When we were growing up in Pendragon, Joseph didn't have a lot of friends, besides me and a few of his siblings. Nobody wanted to be near the 'dimwit' I guess, not that he cared. But I'm grateful knowing he's made so many at your school, people who accept him for who he is, you being one of them." Euphemia said gratefully.

Suzaku smiled at that.

"Of course, your highness." Suzaku said with gratitude.

"Please, Suzaku, call me Euphie." Euphemia insisted, which surprised Suzaku. "By the way, do any of them want to perhaps visit Joseph?" She asked.

"Um, well we assumed it wouldn't be possible-"

"Nonsense! I'm sure Joseph would love the company. Bring them up tomorrow." Euphemia insisted happily.

This shocked Suzaku but then he smiled.

"Thank you, your hi-I mean, Euphie." Suzaku said happily, causing Euphie to blush.

Suddenly, Suzaku felt an arm wrap around him.

"Well then, now that's out of the way, I believe we were talking about your mission." Lloyd chimed in.

...

_Black Knights Base_

"Wait a second, Zero. I realize this is a request from Kyoto. I think we can definitely handle it. And I'm pretty sure that Japan Liberation Front would rather join with us than flee to foreign soil in all." Ohgi tried to reason with Zero

"You are the one who brought us this information. Diethard, wasn't it?" Zero asked their new guest, who was currently having guns pointed at him in case he tried anything.

"That's right. It is an honor that you'd meet me like this, Zero." Diethard said stoically

"So, princess Cornelia's going to deploy the Royal Marines on General Katase at the Japan Liberation Front, is that correct?" Zero asked.

"Yes. The network was already poised to broadcast a special report on it."

"Lieutenant General Tohdoh will never make it Katase in time. Which means that Japan Liberation Front has no military strength right now. Their only chance of escape is the liquid Sakuradite they're carrying." Zero said.

Which is why we should help General Katase escape instead of going after Cornelia." Ohgi argued.

"Ohgi, who are we?" Zero asked him in a determined manner.

"We...we are the Black Knights, Zero." Ohgi said surprised.

"Then we have but one task. We will destroy Cornelia's troops. And in doing so, rescue the remnants of the JLF. Tonight, we gain the rest of what was left behind at Narita." Zero said with determination.

"What are the chances?" Ohgi asked seriously.

"Need you ask?" Zero asked matter-of-factly.

"Understood." Ohgi said with a smile.

"Begin preparations. You all have your orders to carry out." Zero ordered

"Uh… Zero." Kallen called out to get his attention.

"I have something to attend to. Whatever it is, save it for later." Zero told her.

Kallen looked at him conflicted.

...

_Britannia Army Base_

"Just so you know, the viceroy has reservations about using the numbers. But 'use every able body', I always say, even if it's the son of the former prime minister." Darlton told Suzaku professionally. The title made Suzaku uncomfortable, but he kept his composure. "Our target is Katase. Take him out and the Japan Liberation Front is finished. We are sending in a Royal Marines. Your job will be to provide supporting fire from the shore until the marines have Katase. As well as annihilating any stragglers left over." Darlton explained further.

"Uh… I'm to annihilate them, sir?" Suzaku asked surprised.

"Nobody but the target is to survive. Is that clear?" Darlton told him.

"Uh…" Suzaku stuttered, not sure how to answer the General.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi, show your loyalty to the crown. This is your chance to get ahead in the world, soldier." Darlton told him as he walked away.

"Understood, my Lord." Suzaku said conflicted.

"Onward, Christian soldiers? Conflicting morals, right?" Lloyd asked in a knowing tone, which aggravated Suzaku to no end.

...

_Later that night_

_Warehouse_

Kallen couldn't wait any longer, she had to talk to Zero. But when she opened the doors, she wasn't expecting to find a half-naked Zero with his mask off. She couldn't see his face though as it was covered with a towel and shrouded in darkness.

"Who's there?" Zero demanded.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll go." Kallen said in embarrassment, pink flushing her cheeks. She turned to leave.

"Second thoughts?" Zero asked her, stopping Kallen in her tracks. She stood there in silence for a few moments.

"I thought that the goal was justice. The only reason I've fought until now is because I thought it was the right thing to do. So I could live with the killing, but now…Tell me. Is this real? Is what we are all doing here really going to change the world for the better?" Kallen asked him, practically begging for an answer.

"Yes, it will, or rather it must change the world. Will there be sacrifices? Not only just soldiers but the innocent as well." Zero told her. Kallen grunted at that, wishing that last part wasn't his answer. "And yet, because of all these things, we have no choice but to continue on. No matter the cost, even if people see us as cowards, we have to prevail. If that means more blood will be shed, so be it. We've spilled so much to get here. I can't let it be in vain." Kallen looked down, taking in his words. "But I won't force you, Kallen. If you wish to turn back, now is the time." He told her at the end.

Kallen thought about it, about all she's done for her people, how much change has happened because of the Black Knights. She even thought about what Joseph said to her when they first met.

_"Listen Kallen. Sidekick now. Sidekick important to Superhero. Zero equals Superhero. Therefore! Zero's sidekick. Must not let down. Must be there beckon call! The flaps in the night! Garfunkel to Simon! The Doo to Scooby!" Joseph exclaimed as he shaked her head back in forth before bringing her in close to his eyes._

_"Don't. Screw. Up." Joseph said in quiet intensity._

Kallen smiled, having made up her mind.

"I've made my choice. I'll follow you to the very end." Kallen told him with determination.

"Thank you, Kallen." Zero said to her gently. Which definitely cheered her up. "One more thing Kallen." He said to her.

"Uh, yes Zero?" Kallen asked in confusion.

"You mentioned you had friends at the school you attended. Do you truly care for them?" Zero asked her.

This surprised Kallen, but she answered truthfully.

"Y-yes Zero, I really do." Kallen said honestly.

"Then be grateful for that. Few people have what you have Kallen, you must always cherish it." Zero told her in a wise manner.

"...I will, thank you Zero." Kallen said happily.

...

Viletta walked around the peers, with a file of Lelouch Lamperouge on her person.

"Damn it, Diethard told me to meet him here. He said he had more information about the boy." Villetta said angrily to herself. _"While that moronic prince may be untouchable, I can certain dig my fingers into whatever this boy is doing with the Black Knights. Maybe even finding out who Zero is." _She schemed to herself.

She then heard a ship sounding off as it was approaching the docks.

This surprised Villetta.

_"Is that the JLF? I heard there was an operation concerning them tonight. But why would..."_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly she felt a rumbling, the next thing she knew, the a purple-pinkish energy came from below the ship and exploded, sending shockwaves all around and knocking Villetta off her feet.

"What the Hell? Did they just blow up their own sakuradite?" Villetta asked herself, astounded.

...

Zero put away the trigger he used to activate the liquid sakuradite.

"Just what you'd expect of the JLF, choosing to take the Britannians out with them." Zero said in a dull manner, as if expecting it.

"_Suicide? But they never mentioned-"_ Ohgi tried to reason before being interrupted by Lelouch.

"We're going to rush Cornelia's position head-on! Forget about everything else. All that matters is achieving our goal. If you want to avenge the JLF, then capture Cornelia. And show them our strength and determination." Zero ordered

_"Right!" _Kallen said from inside her Guren that was currently on its way, along with a few other knightmares, to the docks inside a cruiser.

...

"This is like Narita all over again." Ohgi said in shock.

While that was happening, Diethard notice something out of the corner of his eye. It happened to be a former Purist looking onto the battle.

_"I see she made it. Perfect timing." _Diethard thought to himself.

"It's outstanding!" Diethard said before going down the ladder.

"Hey, get back here!" Ohgi yelled after him.

_"The JLF was just a bait. Their command is wide open now. One of the oldest tricks in the book!"_ Diethard thought to himself in excitement.

"Where are you going? Hey!" Ohgi called after him, firing off a few bullets, none of them hitting Diethard.

_"It makes perfect sense! He want to cripple his enemy's defenses using the Liberation Front as a living trap! He's excellent materia, this Zero! He's chaos incarnate! More, show me more of your genius! Let your ego engulf the world! Hahahaha! HAHAHAHA!"_ Diethard thought to himself in crazy enthusiasm.

...

The crusier crashes onto the docks, taking out a few knightmares with them. Zero, Kallen, and a couple of other knightmares popped out, starting to battle the Britannians.

"2-0-4 signal lost!"

"Erickson, form up with 3-0-8! Provide support!"

"All unit, Status report!"

"I repeat, What is your status!?" Soldiers all said to each other.

"Why would the General kill himself? It doesn't make any sense." Suzaku thought to himself as the battle raged on.

"Mount up now! And form a defensive of line, on the double!" Darlton ordered as he mounted his own knightmare.

"How did they know we were here!? Cornelia asked angrily.

"Knock their Knightmares into the sea before the pilots can mount! Guren Mk-II, you're with me!" Zero ordered.

"Yes sir!" Kallen complied as she took out more knightmares.

"Your highness, we can handle this." Guilford tried to reason as Cornelia mounted her knightmare.

"Quiet! How many times you think I'll allow them to mock me!?" Cornelia scolded him.

A second later, Zero's knightmare came in full speed, ramming into her.

"I haven't even powered on!" Cornelia complained. She was able to shoot a cable into the left arm of Zero's knightmare, ripping it off. "Do you think you can best me in Knightmare combat!?" She exclaimed trying to shoot her rifle, only for another cable to knock it out of the knightmare's hand. The cable belonged to the Guren.

"Cherry Dynamite!?" Cornelia asked in surprise as the cable wrapped around her knightmare.

"I'll smash your hatch and drag you out, Cornelia!" Lelouch said inside his knightmare in determination.

He was about to shoot when the Lancelot came out from above them. It set its eyes on Zero.

"Zero, your methods are not going to change anything. You focused on goals, and don't understand the pain of others." Suzaku said in anger as he fought Zero, gaining the upper hand.

"Zero!" Kallen shouted, wanting to provide cover but was stopped by Cornelia.

"This is payback for Narita!" Cornelia shouted in determination.

"Damn it! You again, Suzaku!?" Lelouch exclaimed in anger.

A punch was thrown.

"These are people's lives you're playing with. You're nothing but a murderer!" Suzaku said anger

Another punch was thrown.

"Why?! Why does it have to be **you** of all people that keeps getting in my way?!" Lelouch exclaimed in anger.

Punch after punch after punch.

"Why do you keep spilling people's blood without meaning?"

"If it wasn't for **YOU**!"

"Because of **YOU**!"

Lelouch's knightmare was barely standing now, he had no choice but to retreat. He used his cable and pulled his knightmare away from the battlefield, but not before Suzaku shot his own cable at the knightmare, dismantling it. Lelouch ejected, his pod skidded across the ground knocking him around inside the cockpit. When he finally stopped, he was unconscious.

"Zero, this is the end result." Suzaku said to himself.

"Lancelot, behind you!" Cornelia called to him on the open channel.

He turned and saw the Guren charging after him with the Radiation Wave Unit active, which Suzaku was able to shield himself from.

"Get the hell away from him!" Kallen exclaimed, making sure Suzaku didn't lay a finger on Zero.

...

As the battle raged on between the Lancelot and the Guren, Villetta came out of her hiding spot and approached the unconscious Zero.

"Zero..." She couldn't help but smirk and then laugh in joy. "Finally, now that I have him here, I can finally gain back my honor. But first, let's see who's under that mask." She said to herself, reaching for Zero's helmet.

Only to hear a gun cock from behind her.

She stood up and was shocked to see a determined Diethard pointing a gun at her.

"I'm guessing you brought those documents I sent you?" Diethard asked.

"Who do you think you're pointing that at?!" Villetta asked angrily.

"Well, I certainly can't let you bring Zero in, he's too good of a story to put down now." Diethard said with a bit of a more demented look in his eyes.

Villetta gritted her teeth in anger.

"You useless media mogul! You call yourself a Britannian!?" Villetta exclaimed with anger as she charged after him, only for her to meet a bullet.

She dropped to ground, with the file on Lelouch coming out of her person. Diethard picked it up and looked at it in thought for a moment.

"No reason to ruin the mystery." Diethard to himself as he took out a lighter and burned the file.

...

_The Next Day_

_The Student Council Room_

The council members, including Nunnally and Naomi were gathered around as Suzaku delivered them good news.

"Really?! Princess Euphemia is going to let us see Prince Joseph!?" Nina asked in shock, but also joy.

The council was happy to hear this, and Naomi put a comforting hand on Nunnally's shoulder, which she gripped happily.

"Yeah. She thinks it would be good for him to be surrounded by friends again." Suzaku told her happily.

"And maybe if you give Joseph a true love's kiss, he'll wake up!" Milly teased.

"Madam President!" Nina exclaimed, red in the face.

"True's love kiss?" Kallen asked.

"Yep! Ever since he stood up for us at the hotel-jacking, Nina has practically been dying to get into his pants!" Milly exclaimed.

"AH!" Nina exclaimed as she buried her face into her shirt, making Milly laugh.

Kallen didn't know why, but she couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealously arouse up in her at that proclamation. She saw her mother looking at her with a knowing smirk and rolled her eyes at her.

"Hey, maybe I can get a date with Princess Euphemia and eventually marry into royalty." Rivalz said excitedly.

"I'm sure that you will never meet her with such impure motives." Nunnally told him gently.

"Impure? That's a little harsh, isn't it, Nunnally? You're on my side, aren't you, Madam Pres-" Rivalz didn't get to finish as the magazine that Milly was holding was shoved into his mouth.

"Don't kiss up to me. Nunnally saw right through you, and so do I." Milly said annoyed.

"Didn't you just claim that Nina wanted to get into Joseph's pants?" Suzaku asked, astounded by her contradiction. Also making Nina sink deeper into her shirt.

"I'm a lady, we're allowed to gossip like that. Besides, I'm sure Princess Cornelia would shoot you dead before you could even say a 'hello' to her. Right Lelouch?...Lelouch?" Milly called out Lelouch, who was off in his own world.

_"Talk about a close one last night. Still, whose blood was that? C.C. maybe? But why wouldn't she say anything? Whoever it was, it was person that obviously attempted to either kill me or capture me..." _He thought to himself.

"Hello! Earth to Lelouch!" Rivalz called out.

"Uh, sorry. What?" Lelouch asked, oblivious to the conversation they were having.

"You okay, Lelouch?" Suzaku asked concern.

"Big brother?" Nunnally asked, also concerned.

Yeah, I just didn't get enough sleep last night is all." Lelouch told them.

"You know, this might be a sign to start getting regular hours of sleep. After all, you should start taking school more seriously." Suzaku told him.

"Right, Mr. Honor Student." Lelouch teased, making the others laugh. But then his looks turned solemn.

_"Suzaku...what am I suppose to do with you?"_ Lelouch thought to himself sadly.

"Big brother, do you think it's possible you and I could see Joseph as well?" Nunnally asked in a hopeful tone.

Lelouch, Suzaku, and Milly looked at her in surprise.

Lelouch wasn't sure how to answer, he knew just how much Nunnally missed him and he wanted to see Joseph just as much as her. But he didn't want to risk their safety with this exposure.

Before he could answer her, he heard his cellphone ring.

"Uh, one second, Nunnally." Lelouch told her.

"By the way, have any of seen Shirley today?" Rivalz asked.

"No, I tried texting her, but she hasn't responded." Milly said.

Lelouch looked at the caller ID and saw it was Shirley calling him.

"Oh, this is her right now." Lelouch told them, he answered the phone. "Shirley?"

_"Hello, is this Shirley's precious Lulu that I have been hearing so much about?"_ A voice asked him.

A voice that did not belong to Shirley...

_To Be Continued..._

**So pretty cut and dry canon right there, except this time its Diethard that shoots Villetta like in the films and Shirley isn't traumatized like before. As for the revelation with Joseph being in a coma and awake at the same time, along with his brain being healed will be explained later on. And yes, Mao is a factor to the story like before, but without revealing too much, the situation is going to end up different than like in Canon. Because if I'm going to be honest, I HATED the Mao arc from the show. It felt like completely unnecessary filler episodes as just as a means to erase Shirley's memories and explain how Geass works, I personally think they could have done all that without having to create a character who they're just going to kill off three episodes later. So suffice to say, like the tv show, this arc won't last long, but I can at least try to make it mean something. Tune in next time, comment and tell me what you think!**


	20. Annoying Headphones Guy!

_The Student Council Room_

Lelouch eyes widen and his body froze up, thank goodness he had his back turned to the rest of his friends or they might have questioned what was going on.

_"I'm assuming you're with your student council right now, Mr. Vice President. So how about you draw yourself away them, unless of course you want me to put a bullet into the pretty head of your crush." _The mysterious voice threatened with a snakelike voice. _"Oh and make sure not to tip off that father-killer friend of yours, no need to have any backup with __you." _The voice continued in a smug tone.

Lelouch eyes widen at this revelation.

_"How the hell does he know that!?" _Lelouch thought to himself.

"Lelouch? Everything okay?" Rivalz asked, wondering what was up.

_"Remember, no hanging up and no telling." _The voice said in sing-song like tone.

So with that, Lelouch put on his neutral mask and turned back to his friends.

"Oh yeah, Shirley was just telling me she was feeling a bit sick this morning, which is why she didn't make it to school. But she's telling me she's starting to feel better and she wants to discuss our get-together later." Lelouch explained casually.

"Oh, ho, ho. She finally asked you out, huh? Took her long enough!" Rivalz teased.

"Glad I was able to get her to climb out of her shell." Milly said, patting herself on the back.

"Hey I helped too." Suzaku whined.

"I'm sure you did." Lelouch deadpanned at him, making Suzaku whine in annoyance and the others laugh. Internally though, he was sweating bullets, he had to get away from the council, **now**. "Anyway, she wants me to see if I can find a suitable place for us to be later on while she gets ready."

"I understand. Go on lovebird, fulfill your queen's wishes." Milly encouraged in a teasing voice.

Lelouch sighed and started to go towards the door.

"But Lelouch, what about Joseph?" Nunnally asked him.

He was about to answer when he heard the voice again,

_"Tick tock, loverboy." _The voice told him arrogantly.

"Ok, Shirley, I'm going." Lelouch said tiredly.

"Sounds like she's already got you on a leash, you two will make a great couple!" Milly exclaimed happily, making Lelouch roll his eyes.

"We'll discuss it when I get back later, Nunnally. I promise." Lelouch told her as he kissed her on the forehead.

"Okay..." Nunnally said in a disappointed but understanding tone.

With that, Lelouch left. Leaving the council back to their earlier topic.

"You know, you guys can visit Joseph today if you want." Nunnally told them.

"Oh, are you sure Nunnally?" Kallen asked, surprised when just a second ago she seemed more willing to go.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want you or Lelouch to feel left out." Rivalz said.

"Absolutely, I know you guys miss him just as much. I'm sure he'd be happy to know you came to visit him." Nunnally said in an unselfish manner.

She also knew that the discussion that her and Lelouch will have later, would probably just end with them not even going. She knew how protective her big brother was, especially when it came to protecting their real identities. Seeing Joseph at the Viceroy Palace would just risk their exposure, and knowing what would happen if such a thing were to occur would just cause trouble.

Especially when it came to _**that man**_.

...

As soon as Lelouch walked out of the room, his demeanor turned deadly seriously.

"Who are you? What have you done with Shirley?" Lelouch asked quietly but intensely.

_"Ah, ah, ah. Temper, temper. __You just do what I say and your girlfriend lives." _The voice said slyly

"What do you want?" Lelouch asked.

_"Let's just say you're letting a certain someone stay with you at the moment, I would like it if you brought her along." _The voice told him.

_"C.C.?" _Lelouch thought to himself.

_"I'll send you coordinates where I want you two to meet. But please, keep the line on. No reason you need to have hidden tricks up your sleeves, that is if you want Shirley to reach her 18th birthday." _The voice said condescendingly

Lelouch gritted his teeth in anger as he went to his room, he found her lazing about on his bed. She noticed his demeanor.

"What's got you frazzled?" C.C. asked in a bored tone.

_"Put me on speaker."_ The voice told her excitedly.

Lelouch did so.

_"Is that you C.C.? It's me!" _The voice said enthusiastically.

C.C. eyes widen and she jumped out of the bed with energy that Lelouch has never seen her with before.

"Mao!?" C.C. said in actual surprise.

_"So that's his name."_ Lelouch thought to himself as he tried to hatch a plan.

_"It's really you C.C.! Finally, after all this time, I finally found you! It's so good to hear your voice!"_ Mao said esctastically.

"Mao, why are you here? How did you find me?" C.C. asked him.

_"How isn't as important as much as the why. He stole you from me, C.C. So it only seems fair I steal something of his."_ Mao told her.

"If you hurt Shirley, I swear..." Lelouch threatened with menace.

_"Big talk, mister. Let's see if you can meet expectations in person. You should have the coordinates now." _Mao told him.

On cue, a map was sent to him with coordinates on it. It looked to be somewhere in the ghettos.

"I want confirmation that she's alive!" Lelouch demanded.

After a moment of silence, Shirley's voice came on, she sounded terrified.

_"Lelouch, don't-"_

Mao didn't let her finish as he voice came back.

_"See you soon, lover boy."_ Mao mocked.

_"Hang on, Shirley..."_ Lelouch thought to himself in determination.

...

"This thing about saving people's lives… at first I thought he was just, you know, sensitive, but now, I mean, it's more like an obsession, isn't it?" Cecile said worriedly as she thought about all those times Suzaku put other people's lives before his, especially in combat.

"His performance data is still solid, right? Is this a good time to put that new thing to a test with him?" Lloyd asked casually as he ignored the "food" Cecile made for him.

"But still treating Suzaku like he's just another part of the machine could have serious consequences. We'd better deal with the human issue here first." Cecile argued.

"Pardon me, but really aren't you taking care of him in place of someone else?" Lloyd teased.

"I'm not sure about that, but…" Cecile said nervously with a blush before noticing Lloyd's smirk. "You're quick to catch on the something silly, aren't you?" She asked playfully.

"I'm the boss, so you're stuck with me." Lloyd teased further.

He then heard his cellphone ring, his took it out and saw the caller ID belonged to Suzaku.

"Ah, speak of the devil. Or at the very least, his faithful servant." Lloyd said as he answered the phone. "And how is my _human_ devicer today?" He asked, before receiving a backslap to the head by Cecile.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

_Throne Room_

"In this last operation and also at Narita, they were specifically targeting you, Your Highness." Darlton said.

"Eliminating the leader is a standard tactic." Cornelia told him.

"They also eliminated Prince Clovis." Guilford argued.

"Zero was not merely fighting Britannia. He has a deep hatred for the royal family, and he wants blood." Darlton calculated.

_"Hatred?" _Euphemia thought to herself as she remembered the conversation she and Joseph had the night after the hotel-jacking.

...

(Flashback)

_Joseph was hanging out with Euphemia in her room as there wasn't much they could do, given the extra attention they had due to them being held hostage just the other day. Thankfully, Joseph was able to keep himself entertained with his music._

_Currently, he was working on some "stoutness exercises" while lip-syncing._

When I up, down, touch the ground

It puts me in the mood

_(Joseph does push-ups with the beat of the song)_

Up, down, touch the ground

_(Does push-ups with one hand)_

In the mood (smacks lips) for food

_(Pushes himself into standing, Euphemia giggles when he smacks his lips)_

I am stout, round and I have found

Speaking poundage-wise

_(He twirls around the room like a ballerina)_

I improve my ap-po-tite

_(He jumps onto one hand and balances on it)_

When I ex-tro-cise

_(Flips over and lands on feet, hands in the air)_

_Euphemia claps and giggles in delight._

_"I haven't thought about that song in ages, I'm surprised you still remember it." Euphemia commented happily_

_"Can't beat classics!" __Joseph said enthusiastically. Making Euphemia giggle again, then she thought about something. _

_"I was wondering Joseph, why did you cheer for Zero like that last night?" Euphemia asked curiously._

_"Why not? Superheros deserve cheers!" Joseph argued enthusiastically._

_"You really see him as such? Even if he killed Clovis?" Euphemia asked, surprised by his stance. Joseph looked at her in a serious manner, hopped onto her bed and sat crosslegged._

_"Clovis...sad he's dead. __Not know well. But still brother. But...act like villain, treat like villain." Joseph told in a rare serious but determined tone._

_"A villain?" Euphemia said, surprised by his answer._

_"Shinjuku. All those people, kids, elders, killed. Wave of hand from Clovis. (Waved his finger and made a "tsk" sound) Evil, very evil. While not like death. Not un-coming." Joseph explained._

_Euphemia was now confused._

_"But...the reports said..." Euphemia quietly said._

_"Eyewitness!(Points at himself) Britannian Soldiers, gunning people. Left, right, up, down, sideways, back-ways, fore-ways, slant-ways, all ways! A slaughter!" Joseph emphasized._

_Euphemia stared in shock._

_"I...I can't believe he..." Euphemia couldn't finish her sentence, tears building up._

_Joseph pulled her into a hug._

_"Sorry..." Is all he said. Euphemia holds tight onto him._

_When they broke the hug, Euphemia looked at him in a serious manner. _

_"Do you think he'll eventually challenge Father?" She asked._

_"Come on, Eup. Both know dad. It be Spider-Man vs Green Goblin, Superman vs Darkseid, Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader!" Joseph exclaimed as he jumped on top of Euphemia's work desk to emphasize his point._

_"Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader?" Euphemia asked in surprise, more by that last statement than by Joseph's actions._

_"Exactly!" Joseph cheered._

_That placed Euphemia in a thought._

...

_"Zero...could he be...?"_ Euphemia thought to herself.

"Careful, Euphie." Cornelia said gently has she put her hand on Euphemia's shoulder.

"Huh?" Euphemia said, being brought out of her thought process.

"I don't want another crisis like that at the hotel." Cornelia told her.

"Why not assign a knight to her?" Guilford suggested.

"A knight?" Euphemia asked, surprised by the sudden topic.

"Yes, if we assign one knight as a permanent sentinel, then we can build a complete royal guard unit around him. As Sub-Viceroy, Princess Euphemia has the right to a personal champion." Guilford reasoned.

Before that conversation could continue, a soldier walked up and gave a small bow.

"Your Highnesses, we just received word from Earl Asplund that Warrant Officer Kururugi and his classmates are here to visit Prince Joseph." The soldier told them professionally.

"Oh, wonderful!" Euphemia said happily.

"Hmmm..." Was all Cornelia said, intrigued to meet these "friends" of Joseph.

...

_Black Knights Base_

"Man, it was so close! We had her right there! Next time, Kallen will beat that traitor, Kururugi, and his white Knightmare!" Tamaki said excitedly.

"Where is Kallen anyway?" Sugiyama asked.

"She said she was going to visit Prince Joseph today." Inoue told them.

"Oh yeah, didn't she say he fell into a coma during the end of the battle at Narita? I wonder if we're responsible for that?" Minami asked a bit guiltily.

"I doubt it, moron probably hit his head one too many times. Hey, at least we don't have to worry about him butting into our business now!" Tamaki cheered.

"I don't know, it seems to me that unless you provoke him, he's pretty harmless. Besides, he did get the Viceroy to almost surrender to us." Sugiyama reasoned.

"Oh please, we could have taken her down easily if we wanted to." Tamaki argued.

"Don't you mean _**Kallen **_could have taken her down?" Inoue emphasized with a cheeky smile.

"Whatever!" Tamaki said as he rolled his eyes. He then noticed Ohgi who was deep in thought. "Yo, Ohgi. You okay?" He asked.

"The J.L.F. warship…" Ohgi spoke up, sounding conflicted. "Why did it blow up?" He asked, surprising the group.

"What do you mean? It self-destructed." Tamaki argued.

"We did contact them and say we would help, right?" Ohgi reasoned.

"You're not doubting Zero again, are you? That's why he took action. They wanted to see his face!" Tamaki argued.

"Well, it's just that-"

"Yes, it's just that the timing was too convenient, right? So what are you going to do, if you find out Zero was behind it?" Diethard said in a sly manner.

"What are you trying to say Diethard?! I heard you got wussy and ran away! A gutless Brit's got a lot of cojones talking trash to his superiors like that!" Tamaki said angrily.

"I was merely making an assessment, that's my new job here. Ohgi, you agreed to it, too, didn't you?" Diethard asked.

"Ah, that's right. And Zero did approve it." Ohgi said, deciding not to push the subject.

...

_Subway Train_

_"Tell you what, if you do a handstand for the next hour, I'll consider letting her go." _Mao teased over the phone, pissing off Lelouch to no end.

_"He anticipated this. He wants to me to squirm." _Lelouch thought angrily.

He brought his phone down, Mao may still be able to hear them but no reason he had to listen to his aggravating, self-indulging comments.

"From what you're telling me, Mao's geass lets him get right in the someone's head and hear what they are thinking and planning. I've got that right, don't I?" Lelouch deduced.

"Yes, the way Geass manifests is different for each person. If Mao concentrates, he can hear thoughts up to 500 meters away and he can read clear down to your subconscious if he wants to. For someone like you, who fights with his head, he's the worst possible enemy." C.C. told him.

"500 meters… Well it doesn't really come as a surprise to me. I knew there must be others who have the power of Geass. Did you make a contract with him?" Lelouch asked.

"11 years ago." C.C. told him blankly.

"So he's my predecessor. Is there some reason that this forerunner is also my enemy?" Lelouch asked angrily.

"Mao's after me. He may be your enemy, but he's not targeting you." C.C. reasoned.

"Really? Is that why he went after Shirley in my stead? He could have reveal my true identity and told the police or the military who I am but instead my friend's life is on the line! Why didn't you tell me of his existence!?" Lelouch shouted in anger and frustration.

"He wasn't relevant until now. I didn't think I would see him again." C.C. said, keeping her cool.

"_Hey! I miss talking to you! Pick back up!" _Mao yelled over the phone, Lelouch did what he said begrudgingly. _"You're not being mean to my C.C. are you? If so, your date might just have a little accident before you get here." _Mao said with threatening sweetness as the sound of a gun clicking could be heard.

"You!" Lelouch said with gritted teeth, wish he had this man in his grasp right now to teach him a lesson.

"Put me on speaker." C.C. told him quickly.

Lelouch was surprised but did what she said.

"Mao, it's me." C.C. said.

_"Ah, C.C. You really are the best there is!"_ Mao said happily.

"Mao, please stop this. You have no reason to involve them in our affairs." C.C. bargained.

_"I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear. This boy committed a heinous crime by stealing you from me and he has to pay the price! I'm a prince on a white stallion, and a prince has to rescue the princess. Doesn't that make you happy, C.C.?"_ Mao asked excitedly.

"Mao, we talked about this before. I told you that you and I-" C.C. tried to say before being interrupted by Mao.

_"Those were all lies. Lies! C.C., you love me! And I'll prove that we were meant to be together when I slay the demon that kidnapped you, just like a fairytale story. What a quandary! What a quagmire! What a crunch!"_ Mao said with crazy enthusiasm.

C.C. looked down with pity. Lelouch was just thinking.

_"If Mao can read my mind, then he'll already know my weak points and that's where he'll strike."_ Lelouch thought to himself, trying to devise a plan.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

The Student Council waited at the entrance of the Viceroy Palace, as a guard just got off the phone.

"The Viceroy and Sub-Viceroy will be down here to greet you momentarily." The guard told them.

"Thank you." Suzaku said with a smile.

"Man, I never thought I would actually get to go inside the Viceroy's Palace. Talk about eye-catching." Rivalz said in awe.

"Do you think the Princesses will look lowly at us, Milly?" Nina asked in quiet nervousness.

"Well, while I can't speak for Princess Cornelia, I knew Princess Euphemia back then, and I can say she's a very kind, social person. You don't have to worry." Milly told her in reassurance, which calmed Nina down a bit.

"Too bad Lelouch, Nunnally, and Shirley couldn't be here today. Oh well, we'll tell them all about it when we get back." Rivalz said.

"Yeah, about that. Would it be possible you guys could keep them out of the conversation around the princesses?" Suzaku asked awkwardly.

This confused the group, except Milly.

"Um...why?" Kallen asked, not sure what to make of that.

"Because, I'm sure they have their own stories to tell about Joseph and it would be rude to talk about them when they're not even in the same room. Plus, it's always fun to see Lelouch and Shirley squeal whenever a relationship is brought up between the two." Milly reasoned.

"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense." Rivalz said. Nina nodded as well.

Kallen, however, wasn't entirely convinced. And would have pushed more if the guard hadn't spoken up.

"Announcing their Majesties! Princess Cornelia Li Britannia and Princess Euphemia Li Britannia!" The guard yelled as he stood straight, as did the Student Council.

The sisters came forward to the group. Euphemia had a small smile on her face with her hands grasp below her waist while Cornelia had a stern look on with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Your highnesses!" The group said with a formal bow, though Kallen did so with some trepidation.

In their conversations, Kallen always heard Joseph say wonderful things about his sisters, Euphemia especially. And based on appearances, she looked friendly enough, so she was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

When it came to Cornelia on the other hand, she had to resist socking her right then and there. Especially considering that she's had to deal with her in battle a couple of times now. But she wasn't here for that, she was here for Joseph.

"Please, raise your heads. There's no need for formalities when it comes to Joseph's friends." Euphemia assured them kindly.

"So you're the people my brother keeps running off too." Cornelia said with scrutinizing eye.

"Uh, y-yes your highness. I'm Nina Einstein" Nina said nervously as they rose back up.

"Rivalz Cardemonde." Rivalz waved awkwardly.

"Kallen Stadtfeld." Kallen said in her sickly tone.

Cornelia eyed them for a second.

"Milllicent, it's good to see you. How's Reuben?" Cornelia asked politely.

"It's good to see you as well, Cornelia. Grandfather is doing quite well, he sends his regards." Milly told her in a friendly but polite tone.

"Well then, how about we go inside and see Joseph." Euphemia told them cheerfully.

"Hold on, Sub-Viceroy. Before we go, I want to know just exactly what your intentions are." Cornelia told the group sternly, surprising them.

"I don't understand?" Milly couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Millicent, I know that you were childhood friends with Joseph back in Pendragon and I'm grateful that you welcomed him back with open arms. But there is also the fact that your family lost their noble rank when Lady Marianne perished. For all I know you and your friends are just using his mental status as a way to gain points in with the royal family." Cornelia accused harshly.

"Cornelia!" Euphemia exclaimed angrily, she was afraid she would do this.

Kallen's fury really started to rise at that accusation. How dare this woman think of her as such! She wasn't her bitch of a step-mother! She probably would have broken character if Milly hadn't spoken up.

"I understand why you would think that way. If he was my brother, I probably would feel the same too. But please know that I'm not, nor none of my friends, are like that. We care about him and like him for who he is." Milly told her in an understanding tone.

"Yeah, we love his taste in music. And he's been teaching us some of the coolest dance moves!" Rivalz added as he showed off an awkward attempt of the moonwalk that Joseph showed him. Making Euphemia giggle and Cornelia roll her eyes.

"He's been very kind as well, he never looks down on us, always as an equal. I honestly never would have expected that." Nina said with small blush.

"Look, we've seen his scars, we know he's been through a lot. Please, we just want to make sure he's okay." Kallen chimed in as well.

Cornelia took a second to think about this and then she looked at her sister, who had a pleading look on her face.

"(Sighs) Very well, I suppose I should be happy my brother has conjured up a group of people who seem to genuinely care for him. Come along." Cornelia told them as she gestured them to follow her.

"Oh right!" Rivalz cheered as he went to catch up with her.

Nina was beaming, and actually sweating a bit as well.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

_Medical Facility_

When the Student Council finally laid eyes on Joseph's sleeping form, where the heart monitor next to him was giving off a beep every couple of seconds with fluids being pumped into his veins, the words seem to have left their mouths and they couldn't find anything to say after. They just stood there in silence, and looked in both surprise and sorrow.

"Is everything alright?" Euphemia asked.

"Yes, sorry. We just didn't expect him to look so..." Milly started quietly, not sure how to end it.

"...vulnerable?" Cornelia finished for her.

The group nodded.

"It's a rare look honestly, one I haven't seen from him in a long time." Cornelia said quietly. Euphemia had her eyes down, knowing exactly what she talking about.

"...Is-is it okay if we got closer?" Nina asked nervously.

"Of course, don't be afraid to interact with him. I wouldn't be surprised if a part of him is hearing this conversation." Euphemia said optimistically.

"Really? What makes you say that?" Kallen asked.

"Well, while I can't reveal too much. Let's just say we learned some things the other day, and it made Cornelia glow like I never seen her before." Euphemia said happily.

"Euphemia..." Cornelia said embarrassingly as her cheeks turned red.

Kallen was the first to approach Joseph's sleeping form.

"H-Hey, Joseph...it's good to see you." Kallen said in awkward quietness.

"It's okay, Ms. Stadtfeld. He's already survived through hell and back." Cornelia said with a small, reassuring smile. Remembering those words from Lady Rebecca when she first introduced him to her.

Kallen nodded, actually feeling a bit better

Nina came up next, hands against her mouth and tears starting to sprout from her eyes.

"Your highness..." Nina said in a small voice. She then felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder and saw it was Euphemia.

"You must really care for him." Euphemia stated with a sad smile, Nina nodded.

"He saved our lives that night. I'm forever grateful to him." Nina said tearfully.

"Well hey, whoever said this was suppose to be downer visit. I say we liven things up with a bit of his music!" Rivalz said, wanting to put the group back in good spirits.

"I couldn't agree more!" Milly said happily.

Euphemia smiled happily as well as she reached over to Joseph's walkman and pushed the play button.

...

_Shinjuku Ghettos_

_"You're getting closer. Just a few minutes and our game can begin." _Mao said with excitement over the phone on speaker.

The area they were in was nearly abandoned due to the massacre that happened with Clovis, the massacre that started Lelouch's journey as Zero.

**"**Does he have any weaknesses?" Lelouch asked quietly.

"He can't turn his power off. In a crowd he hears all the minds rolling and writhing around him, whether he wants to or not." C.C. told him.

_"I see, so he specifically chose an area that wouldn't disrupt his mind. This will make it harder to beat him." _Lelouch thought to himself.

_"It will indeed. But that just makes it all the more fun won't it?" _Mao teased.

This surprised Lelouch. If he knew what he was thinking, then they must have been close.

_"Right again! In fact, our meeting place will be very familiar to you_ _both." _Mao said excitedly.

When Lelouch and C.C. turned a corner, their eyes widen in surprise as they recognized what it was that Mao was talking about.

It was the abandoned warehouse where Lelouch gained his Geass from C.C.

The moment when he became Zero.

_"Yes, that's right! This is the same place where you stole C.C. from me!"_ Mao yelled out in anger. _"But please do come in. Shirley has been waiting anxiously for your arrival."_ Mao mocked as he hung up.

Lelouch gritted his teeth in anger as they entered the open hole that was there, where he finally laid his eyes on the kidnapper.

He looked to be around the same age as Lelouch, except maybe a year or two older, he had grayish hair with a pale skin complexion. He was dressed in a white robe of some sort with a visor on, covering his eyes, likely to protect him from Lelouch's geass. Lelouch however could see the faint redness in his eyes, indicating that his Geass couldn't turn off as C.C. said. In his hand was a gun, and to complete his look was a shit-eating smirk that was begging to be smacked off.

Behind him, he could see a frightened Shirley who was tied up and gagged. She had her school uniform on, indicating that she was on her way to school when she was kidnapped. She looked at Lelouch with tears in her eyes and tried to say his name under the gag.

"Shirley!" Lelouch said, both in relief and fear.

"Well, if it isn't Casanova! I'm glad you can both make it. Especially you C.C., your mind is so quiet. It's the only one I can't read." Mao said happily.

C.C. stepped in front of Lelouch.

"Mao, I-"

***BANG***

C.C. never got to finish her sentence as she shot in the head by Mao. Shirley let out a muffled scream as she just witness a "murder" right in front of her.

As shocked as Lelouch was, he managed to catching her limp form before it hit the ground.

"C.C.!" Lelouch yelled.

"Please forgive me C.C. But I can't have you give this thief an unfair advantage because of your gift. I'm sorry, so sorry!" Mao frantically said apologetically.

"DAMN YOU!" Lelouch said with hatred.

"There's that temper again. We don't want the game to end this early do we?" Mao asked in a mocking way as he turned the gun to Shirley, who was crying her eyes out.

Seeing he had to no choice, he put C.C. down and stood back up.

"Well I'm here, what game are you hoping for?" Lelouch asked in a calm manner.

Mao smirked at this and stepped to the side, revealing a chess board and its pieces on it.

"You specialize in this, don't you?" Mao asked him knowingly, making Lelouch glare at him.

"So that's it huh?" Lelouch asked angrily.

"Mind you, I never played the game before, so this should be interesting to say the least. Here's my wager, you win and I'll let you and your lover go. Simple right?" Mao asked teasingly.

"And if I lose?" Lelouch asked with menace.

"I think we all know the answer to that." Mao said with a sneer. Lelouch made his way to the chess board.

"Black's your color, right? I'll let you go first since you're the expert." Mao said mockingly, making Lelouch even angrier.

"Your mind is twisted. No wonder C.C. left you." Lelouch said bitterly, as he made his first move.

"Provoking me won't work. I can read your thought, so I know what you're trying to do. I'm afraid you're not the type of person who can keep your mind empty. There's the part of you that's a critic, constantly watching your own moves… and there's another part that's an observer watching the critic — watching you. You're that kind of person. But I know all your thoughts, so I'm always a step ahead." Mao said with an evil smirk.

_"Damn it! With his ability, he'll predict all my moves. But I have to try, I must win, for Shirley!" _Lelouch thought in determination.

...

Some time later into them game, it was obvious that odds were not in Lelouch's favor. So he tried to think of ways to use his mind to his advantage.

"Bravo! Your plan is to think of seven things at once to confuse me and trip me up! But you see, if I focus my Geass directly on you, it's easy to tell which one is your true thought." Mao said slyly as he made a move that took away Lelouch's bishop.

_"What do I do? I'm out of strategies. I can't call for backup as long as Shirley is being held hostage." _Lelouch thought nervously and fearfully.

"It's seems your last plan is failing. But I guess it can be expected when it's not the first time you've miscalculated." Mao teased, Lelouch was curious what he was talking about. "After all, when you're a leader, you often have to ask yourself, 'Is that the right move?', 'Are you sure you wanna do that?' And the wrong answer can have the worst consequences." Mao lectured with a sneer.

Lelouch eyes tighten in anger.

"Tell me, did any of this occur to you when you started that mudslide and destroyed that town back in Narita?" Mao asked wholeheartedly.

Shirley's eyes widen at this revelation.

"Oh, didn't he tell you? Your 'Lulu' is the reason your father almost perished that day and it took his retarded brother to save him." Mao mocked.

"Stop it, Mao." Lelouch said quietly

"What? It's true isn't it? Because of your pride and arrogance, you made so many families mourn for their loved ones." Mao teased.

"Please stop. Isn't this enough?" Lelouch said, a bit louder.

"Tell her, Lelouch! Tell her how it's because of you, because you're Zero, that she almost lost her father! And she would have to if the dimwit hadn't shown up!" Mao cheered.

"STOP IT!" Lelouch cried out, he was shaking in anger, but also sadness.

He looked at Shirley with a cloud over his head.

"I'm so sorry Shirley. I never meant for you to get involved in any of this." Lelouch said with sorrow, ashamed of himself and full of regret.

Shirley just looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Aaah, how sweet, how romantic. And how does she respond?" Mao said cheerfully as he removed her gag.

"Lulu...it's okay...I know you're not a bad person...I forgive you..." Shirley said tearfully.

"(Sighs fondly) She really is an angel." Mao mocked.

"Mao...I admit it…you have beaten me." Lelouch said quietly.

"Huh?" Mao spoke up in surprise.

"You've gotten everything you wanted! Let Shirley go! Please!" Lelouch practically begged.

"Very well said! You're finally speaking the thoughts from the deepest part of your soul, huh? That feels great! Fantastic!" Mao cheered. "...But no. This is checkmate." Mao concluded as he moved his pawn to take out Lelouch's king.

Lelouch's eyes widen in fear.

"Take gratitude in the fact that you two got a moment together." Mao said evilly as he aimed his gun at Shirley's head.

"NO!" Lelouch yelled.

He would have pulled the trigger if he hadn't heard Shirley shocked thoughts. Instead he turned and shot a revived C.C., whose head was still bleeding from the gunshot wound, in the kneecap. Making her fall to her knee and grunt in pain.

"Y-You're...h-how..." Shirley stuttered, not believing what she was seeing.

"Why must you make me hurt you, C.C.!? It hurts me to see you hurt!" Mao cried.

"Mao, please, stop this! I'm not worth it, I left you alone and betrayed you!" C.C. told him sadly, a tone that Lelouch never thought he would hear from her.

It's alright C.C., I know you didn't mean it, you're the only one! The only one I want forever. Lelouch doesn't matter at all. If you just come with me." Mao said excitedly.

"You're wrong! I was just using you right from the start!" C.C told him furiously. Mao was confused now.

"What are you saying? You shouldn't tell lies like that. You really shouldn't." Mao said frantically as he shot her in the kneecap. "Lies are very very wicked. Wicked lies!" He said wickedly as he shot her in all her joints so she was deemed immobile.

"Stop it!" Shirley shouted, shocked this man was torturing this woman.

"Mao!" Lelouch shouted, running towards him. Hoping to do something.

Only to get whacked in the face by the gun, he landed on the ground and received a hard kick to the stomach.

"Lulu!" Shirley cried out.

"You both really care for this boy, don't you? He's the problem! Once I get rid of him, we can be together forever!" Mao said ecstatically as he aimed for Lelouch.

"No!" Shirley cried, trying to get out of her restraints.

"Is this your revenge? You're punishing me?" C.C. said with fear, for the first time in a long time.

"Oh, no, I'm not. I'm not, I'm not! I'M NOT AT ALL!" He yelled with a crazed smile as he planted his foot on Lelouch's back. "I'm showing you my gratitude." He said sweetly as he cocked his gun, ready to fire.

_"Forgive me, Shirley, C.C., Nunnally, I tried."_ Lelouch thought with regret.

"LELOUCH!" Shirley shouted with tears.

***CRASH***

The wall to their right suddenly burst into pieces! Leaving a large hole in its place. As if a cannon just fired upon it.

This shocked everyone, including C.C. and making them turn to see what caused it.

When the dust settled, they saw a man.

A man with a trimmed beard, short reddish-brown hair, a bandage around his head, scars on his chest, barefoot, wearing sweatpants with a 1986 walkman clipped to it as well as a long black overcoat with patches around it and a furious look in his eyes to finish.

"JOSEPH!?" Lelouch, Shirley, and even C.C.(though with less volume in her voice) said with shock and confusion.

Joseph had his eyes focused on Mao, who was just as shocked and confused as the rest, and he could see the dimwit was NOT in a happy mood.

"Away from them, yooooooou Bitch..." Joseph in a **very ****_un_**happy tone.

...

_To Be Continued._

**Dun, Da-Dun, Dun-DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Joseph is back and to the rescue! How did he get out of his coma? How did he know what was going on with between Lelouch and Mao? Just what will Mao face when dealing with the wrath of Joseph's anger?! All will be revealed next time on The Many Adventures of The Dimwitted Prince! In all seriousness though, I had some trouble writing this chapter this time around due to my own disliking of the arc, but I hope you guys liked it and hope you tune in for more next time. Tell me what you think and see you next time.**


	21. Ghosts and Revelations!

_Pendragon_

The royal family was sitting together in a living room when Schneizel came in.

"What's the situation on Joseph's condition?" Odysseus asked with concern.

"Unfortunately, Cornelia tells me there has been no change, but they're remaining optimistic." Schneizel told his siblings sadly.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the retard will die in his sleep." Carine said snidely while chewing on her crumpet.

"Carine, please, you mustn't say that! We should wish him well and hope he makes a quick recovery." Odysseus told her, Carine just rolled her eyes.

"Cassius didn't seem too heartbroken about it." Carine said offhandedly, remembering the all nighter he pulled when he heard the news.

"Yes, well, he never really forgave Joseph after the 'incident'." Odysseus said awkwardly.

While they were talking, Guinevere had other things on her mind.

...

(Flashback)

_An 18 year old Guinevere sat in an empty room, her eyes red from tears running down her face. Her mother had rimmed her out for embarrassing her in front of the Ambassador of Area 5, apparently she hadn't made herself "pretty enough" for him and now it's unlikely he'll give her any future loans. _

_It wasn't her fault she didn't want to appease to a pervert, she hated coming to these parties anyway! Why did she always have to endure such awful people!?_

_Suddenly she heard the door open and quickly wiped away her tears. She looked up and saw it was her seven year old half-brother, Joseph, who had his signature dopey smile on. Her mood turned sour at that moment._

_"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the party?" Guinevere muttered._

_Joseph simply made a fart noise with his mouth, Guinevere rolled her eyes at that._

_"Figures, I guess even a dimwit like you has no tolerance for these things." Guinevere said with bored tone._

_Joseph approached her and frowned when he saw her recently cried-out eyes._

_"Sad?" Joseph asked simply, Guinevere glared at him._

_"Of course not! I'm just blistered with rage that I have to deal with inappropriate men all the time! Especially ones that my own mother always tries to pick me off too!" Guinevere raged, before going quiet. "Besides, according to her, who would want an 'ugly pig' like me?" She said in a low voice, her hair hiding her in face in fear that tears might show up again._

_After a moment, she felt arms wrap around her waist. She looked down and saw Joseph looking up at her with a happy smile._

_"Very beautiful!" Joseph cheered._

_Guinevere looked at him in surprise, she hadn't expected to hear that tonight. Especially from him._

_Before she could say anything, Lady Rebecca came into the room._

_"There you are! Always wanting to explore, huh? You curious little monkey." Rebecca said with joy as she scooped up her son into a hug._

_"Funky monkey!" Joseph cheered while imitating a monkey with his arms, making Rebecca laugh and Guinevere give a small smirk._

_"You walked out of there in a hurry after talking to that pig of an ambassador. Sorry you had to deal with that." Rebecca said sympathetically._

_"It's fine. All part of being royalty I guess. I'm surprised you and your son even came tonight, I thought you hated parties." Guinevere commented. _

_"Well, between you and me, I came with ulterior motives." Rebecca said slyly with a wicked grin, making Guinevere a bit disturbed._

_Before she could ask, she suddenly heard groans of disgust._

_"Uggah, what the Hell!?" Someone said._

_"What is that awful stench?!" Another asked._

_"It's coming from the buffet table!" Another shouted._

_Rebecca gave a wink to the shocked Guinevere._

_"Come on, Joe. How about we continue the rest of the night with some 80s action films?" Rebecca asked sweetly._

_"The 'Choppa'!" Joseph cheered with a thick Austrian accent._

_"Alright!" Rebecca equally cheered._

_As Guinevere watched them leave, she honestly felt a bit better that night._

(Flashback End)

...

Guinevere let a simple chuckle out.

"What?" Carine asked in a confused manner.

"Nothing." Guinevere said quietly.

...

Joseph had found himself in a pickle.

One moment, he was in Narita, having an argument then reconciliation with his big sister. The next, he was suddenly hit with a tidal wave of images, cosmos, and very revealing secrets!

Suzaku killing his own father when he was kid. Man, what a mind-blower that was! That explained the changed personality that differed from the one he had when he was a kid. Poor guy, having to live with that guilt and all that regret. He would make sure to talk to him.

There was also that word that rung through his mind.

Ragnarok.

What was it? What did it mean? He didn't know. But it stuck to the back of his head like a piece of gum on a shoe. But that would be something he would think about later when he got out of here, where ever _here_ was.

Which lead to Joseph's current situation.

Right now, he was floating in the air, surrounded by an abyss of darkness that had no view of ending anytime soon. Not only that, he was somehow talking in complete sentences. Out of everything, that was definitely the weirdest thing for him at the moment.

"Peter piper picked a pail of pickle peppers...how much could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?" Joseph said, trying out his new found voice. "Huh. Really does feel different when you're able to get all the words out of there." He said with acknowledgment. "But enough about that, time to figure out where I am and how to get out of here!" He said to himself in determination.

He looked around, hoping to find any clues about his whereabouts. But nope, it was just more darkness.

"Hello! Anybody here?!" Joseph shouted out to the abyss, seeing if maybe anybody else might be here with him. "Hello! Someone!? Olly-Olly-Oxenfree!" He shouted once more, still nothing. "Okay, seriously, this ain't funny guys! Come on!" Joseph shouted to the abyss, a bit annoyed now.

For a moment, he thought he heard the faint sound of Nunnally. He looked around to see if she was here, but nothing and no one showed up. He just shrugged his shoulders, thinking he imagined it.

"Oh well, guess I won't get anywhere just floating here." Joseph said to himself as he pushed himself forward towards the endless void.

For awhile, he looked around, seeing if there was a light at the end of the tunnel, literally. He called out a few more times, hoping someone would hear him, but still nothing.

"I wonder if I somehow got trapped in another dimension, like something from Futurama! That be awesome if I had more to do around here." Joseph said excitedly before deflating at that last statement. "Man, I really wish I could play some music right now." He said sadly, looking at the empty the space on his pants that would normally have his walkman on there, but for some reason, had disappeared.

Along with all his other possessions including his tapes and his tree bark.

"Could really use some funk in such a dunky place." Joseph muttered.

Suddenly, he heard a beat come out of nowhere.

_Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah_

_Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah_

_Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah_

_Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah_

"Whoa! I never been able to do that before! Whenever I shouted at the sky to play me a song, I usually get an angry busybody telling me to shut up." Joseph commented to himself. "Hmmm...what if this is just all a dream? And I just need to wake myself up!" He concluded excitedly.

He slapped himself in the face, nothing changed. He slapped himself back and forth a couple of times, still nothing.

"Okay, not a dream. (Sighs) Come on Joe, use that half-dead brain of yours and think!" Joseph told himself with motivation.

He thought for a moment, hoping something would pop in his head.

And as it seems, something did.

"Music off!" He shouted up towards the abyss.

And just like that, it did. Joseph scratched his head in thought.

"Weird, it functions like a dream. Perhaps this Nightmare on Elm Street scenario is connected to my mind in some spiritual way." Joseph theorized. "And when it comes to spiritual situations, they call for spiritual techniques...Lightbulb!" Joseph shouted excitedly, knowing now he should do.

He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began meditating.

_"Now breathe in and out, repeat that action. Let your mind clear of any thoughts and listen to the sounds around you. The wind that rustle the leaves, the birds that chirp as they fly by, take it all in as you let your energy flow through you."_

Those words from his Sensei flowed through Joseph's head as he concentrated and focused his energy on one thing. Getting the heck out of here.

Suddenly, that surge of electricity he felt back at Narita went through his whole body! He felt something pull him forward at a fast pace. He was soon met with pulses of soaring energy around him, he swiped right past Jupiter and came about a white blinding light.

He had to close his eyes just because of how bright it was.

...

When he opened them again, he saw he wasn't surrounded by darkness anymore. He was in fact, in a room.

"Alright, I'm back!" Joseph cheered.

"Are you there, Joe?" He heard Euphemia ask from behind him, getting him excited.

"Eup!" He said happily as he turned around to greet his sister. Only to make a shocking discovery.

What he saw was Euphemia standing over his unconscious body, holding his hand, while he was laying in a hospital bed. Cornelia was to the side, watching. He looked down his feet and saw he was still floating.

Curious, he got closer to Euphemia and himself. He stick a finger out and pointed towards her head. Only for it to phase right through her, Joseph was astonished.

"Oh my god! I'm a ghost! Ha! Man, this day is full of surprises!" Joseph said excitedly.

He got a look at his face and made a shocking discovery.

His beard had been severely trimmed down and was now just a thin goatee that connected to a mustache!

"My beard! The thickness is gone! My puffiness! What the Hell, Corn?!" Joseph barked in annoyance and anger.

He knew Cornelia didn't like his beard, but to cut it while he was sleeping!? That was just **low**.

Before he could carry on with his complaining, he noticed Euphemia still staring at his sleeping form.

"If you can hear me, squeeze my hand..." Euphemia said quietly.

He could see the hopeful look on his sister's face, and not being one wanting to disappoint, he decided to return to his body.

Only to suddenly meet face-first with an invisible barrier.

"What the?" Joseph said confused.

He knocked on the invisible force, wondering what was going on. He tried to push his way through, even moving his legs for full measure. Sort of how a cartoon character tries to move forward on ice, only they have no friction to do so. The same was happening for Joseph's situation.

He then moved a few feet away and charged at it.

*SMACK*

Only to give himself a headache. Euphemia and Cornelia were both unfazed by this.

"Oh come on! Am I really in a 'Charmed' situation?! I swear, that show had too much cheese, even for me." Joseph complained to himself.

"...Come on, Joe... Just squeeze." He heard Euphemia say.

"Euphie, I don't think that's going to work." Cornelia told her sadly.

"We have to try. You heard the doctor, he may be in a coma, but he's still conscious somehow." Euphemia insisted.

"Wait...COMA?! What the hell did _I_ miss?!" Joseph exclaimed in confusion.

"He also said he can't draw to any conclusions based on his findings, I don't know what's going on with Joseph, but I doubt talking to him will work." Cornelia said dejectedly and Euphemia couldn't help but frown angrily at that.

"Of course _you_ would say that." Euphemia said with scrutiny.

This surprised Joseph and Cornelia, both by her statement and her tone.

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?!" Cornelia asked appalled by what Euphemia said.

"I mean that ever since we were kids, you always had to be the spoils-sport of things. You never try to be optimistic." Euphemia argued.

"What the Hell am I suppose to do?! Wave my hands in the air, dance around like an elf and say everything will work out in the end?! You can't get by in life with that logic, Euphemia!" Cornelia argued back.

"Joseph did just fine following that law, and maybe if you just had been more supportive-" Euphemia didn't finish her statement, afraid to say something she would really regret.

Joseph looked on at that rising argument in surprise, he never seen them argue like this before, not even back in Pendragon. Cornelia on her end, looked at her sister with judgment.

"What?" Cornelia asked. Euphemia looked away. "...Go ahead...finish that statement...you blame me for him leaving, don't you?" She asked with subtle anger, but Joseph could detect a hint of sadness as well, the same kind of sadness his father often tries hide in his speeches.

"I didn't say that." Euphemia said quietly, regretting she even brought it up.

"Don't! I can see it in your face! You think I wanted him to leave!? I thought it was another one of his idiotic ploys that he would have dropped after a day or two! I didn't think he would actually go through with it!" Cornelia argued angrily.

"Oh, and the etiquette classes you forced him to take had nothing to do with it!?" Euphemia asked with just as much fury.

"I was trying to get him to grow up! If he kept up with his childish antics, the world would have ate him alive. And considering the journey he's had, it already did!" Cornelia reasoned.

"At least he was happy! You tried to take that away from him! You tried to make him a person he wasn't! And looking back, I can see why he left when he did! Because while you weren't the main cause of him going away, you were definitely a factor in it, Cornelia!" Euphemia shouted.

A dead silence took its course in the room after that.

Both Joseph and Cornelia looked at Euphemia in shock by her statement, they had no idea she felt like this or she could explode like that. Even Euphemia herself was surprised by her sudden outburst.

"That's not true, Cornelia had nothing to do with me leaving...did she?" Joseph asked himself, feeling conflicted.

When he left Pendragon all those years ago, he did it to feel like himself again. But what if Cornelia was an unknowing factor into his departure, it just had never crossed his mind before.

Let's face it, he wanted to get **FAR **away from those classes as soon as possible.

He looked back at his sisters, Cornelia had her head down. Her hair covering her face, making it unclear what her emotions were.

"Maybe you're right." Cornelia said quietly.

Now it was Euphemia's turn to look shocked, as well as Joseph. They** _never_** heard their sister admit defeat like that before.

She took a seat in a chair next to Joseph's body. She had a look on her face that carried a heavy burden.

"Before Lady Rebecca died, she asked me to be there for Joseph when he really needed it. I took that upon myself to make sure not to coddle him or enable him, I wanted him to grow strong and be seen as worthy in the eyes of the empire. I thought that if I were to get him to mature, he could truly thrive in this world. But as soon as I realized that he was never going to come back, I knew that not only did I fail him, I failed the woman who put her trust in me, the woman who showed me more love and kindness than even our own mother. And I told myself I would never make another mistake like that again! ...But then Lady Marianne was killed, and so were Lelouch and Nunnally." Cornelia said as tears started to build up in her eyes.

"I keep asking myself: 'What am I doing wrong?!' Because it seems no matter what choice I make..." Cornelia said with a shaky voice as she gripped Joseph's hand. "...I keep failing those around me. (Looks at Euphemia) Even you." She concluded as tears ran down her cheeks.

Euphemia couldn't take it anymore, she rushed into her sister and embraced her tightly as tears of her own rolled down her cheeks.

"You haven't! You've taken care of me all these years, you've protected me! What happened back then wasn't your fault and I never should have implied that it was! Aunt Rebecca loved you with all her heart and she would never blame you for Joseph's choices, same goes for him! Please forgive me sister!" Euphemia begged as she sobbed into Cornelia's chest, who wrapped around her and wept with her, still gripping Joseph's hand,

Meanwhile, Joseph just looked on in shock and sorrow.

"...Oh God..." Is all he could say.

He didn't think there would be repercussions for his leaving that day. Aunt Marianne being killed and his siblings being sent to Japan by their father may have been something out of his hands, but the fact that he left this burden on his sister's mind all these years, made him realize that maybe he truly had been selfish that day.

"I definitely owe some apologies when I wake up." Joseph said quietly, he then looked at his hand that was being gripped by Cornelia. _"For now though, maybe I can give something else."_ He thought to himself as an idea hatched inside his head.

He reached his left hand out towards the barrier, his left because that was the physical one Cornelia was gripping. He laid his palm flat against it, took a deep breath and started to focus his spiritual energy again.

"Please...just a little movement, that's all I ask." He said quietly as he concentrated that energy into his left hand.

After what seem liked forever, something happened.

Cornelia looked up in surprise as she felt it. Euphemia looked at her in confusion.

"What is it?" Euphemia asked.

"Look." Cornelia said in shock.

Euphemia turned her head in Cornelia's direction and her eyes widen in shock, but also joy.

Joseph's hand was gripping Cornelia's!

"H-he...he's holding your hand. He's really holding it!" Euphemia cheered in joy!

Cornelia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she looked in disbelief, but also smiled of joy.

"He's in there, sister! He's still in there!" Euphemia cheered with happy tears in her eyes as she went over and kissed Joseph repeatedly on his head and cheeks.

"Unbelievable..." Cornelia said with the same disbelief but now with growing excitement she hadn't felt in a long time!

Joseph, on his end, was doing his own cheering.

"YES! ALRIGHT! GO PSYCHIC POWERS! I'M 10% BACK! OR WHATEVER THE PERCENTAGE IS FOR THE HAND ON THE ENTIRE BODY!" He exclaimed as he did a celebration dance.

As he finished, he saw his sisters(more-so Euphemia) talk to his body about their day, how things have been going since he's been in his coma. He smiled at their new optimism.

_"I swear Cornelia, I'll make it up to you somehow..." _Joseph thought to himself. "In the meantime, I'm going to test out these ghost powers and see how everyone else is doing." Joseph told himself as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

He stuck one arm out and pulled one arm in, and flew himself through the walls of the medical facility. Like a superhero!

"I! AM! **SUPER COAT MAN**! HAHAHA!" Joseph cheered as he fazed out if the building and flew up towards the sky!

He always dreamed of being able to do something like this, and the fact it was now a dream come true, made it all the more sweeter.

While he wished he could feel the wind rushing through his hair, it didn't deter from the experience.

"Alright, onward to Ashford Academy! Meep-Meep!" Joseph said as he imitated a Road Runner and launched himself in the direction of the school.

...

The next couple of days flew by for Joseph.

He learned that his friends, along with Lelouch and Nunnally were aware of his condition but were being optimistic about his return, and they even made him a card wishing him well. Man, he was so lucky to have made such awesome friends! Nina, however, seemed particularly disheveled by the news, almost in a clingy type of way, Joseph wasn't sure why.

And he was overjoyed when he saw Shirley ask Lelouch out on a date! One more step to her being his new little sister!

While he wasn't observing, he spent his time trying ways to get back into his body. Once in awhile, he made his foot twitch or his nose wrinkle, and of course his hand gripped his sisters' whenever they were there. But beyond that, nothing. It left Joseph between a rock and a hard place, wondering what else he could do.

And while his sisters were happy to see improvements in Joseph's condition, they knew they had to get back to their duties of being Viceroy and Sub-Viceroy. As such, Joseph overheard a certain operation going on where she and her troops planned to killed the remainders of the JLF. Knowing that, Joseph was sure Lelouch had his own scheme up his sleeve as Zero.

He was even able to give Kallen a little pick-me-up speech considering what happened at Narita and that landslide. Turned out there was a lot of causalities in that town and Joseph and Shirley's father were the only survivors. Joseph felt bad about that, but if he learned anything from superhero lore, you can't save everyone, no matter how hard you tried.

But hey, Shirley's father made it out of there okay, so he'll take the win.

The battle that night was amazing to watch, and he didn't have to worry about his sister nagging him about not being able to observe. He got scared for a moment when Lelouch was knocked unconscious due to his battle with Suzaku and the woman whose knightmare Lelouch took back in Shinjuku was there and almost unmasked him. Thankfully, a ponytail-haired pretty guy stopped her and even burned the documents containing Lelouch's identity. That definitely earned him some "good guy" points from Joseph's perspective, he would make sure to thank this guy in person for protecting his brother when he got the chance.

That morning though, everything took an unexpected direction.

It started off pretty simple at first, Suzaku told them that Euphemia was allowing them to visit. This news excited Joseph, for this could be the chance he could finally wake and up and surprise all his friends. Nunnally asked if she could go to but Joseph already knew the answer to that would be, considering exposure of their survival would lead them back to their dad.

Then Rivalz asked a question that Joseph was also curious about.

"By the way, have any of seen Shirley today?" Rivalz asked.

"No, I tried texting her, but she hasn't responded." Milly said.

Joseph found that odd, before his coma, he was coming here almost everyday for the last couple of weeks and he never seen Shirley be absent before.

He saw Lelouch look at his phone.

"Oh, this is her right now." Lelouch told them.

_"Hmm, hope she's okay." _Joseph thought to himself as he floated over to Lelouch's side.

"Shirley?" Lelouch asked.

However, a few seconds later, Lelouch's eyes widen in surprise and fear. This definitely caught Joseph's attention, wondering what was up, he brought his ear close to the receiver to hear Shirley on the other line.

Except this voice didn't belong to Shirley.

_"I'm assuming you're with your student council right now, Mr. Vice President. So how about you draw yourself away them, unless of course you want me to put a bullet into the pretty head of your crush." _The mysterious voice threatened with a snakelike voice. _"Oh and make sure not to tip off that father-killer friend of yours, no need to have any backup with __you." _The voice continued in a smug tone.

"Who the hell is that?! And why is he calling on Shirley's phone?! ...Oh yeah, and how does he know about Suzaku killing his father?!" Joseph exclaimed.

Lelouch put on a fake smile and reassured his friends that Shirley had asked him to find a place for them to spend together tonight on their date. Once he left, he turned dead serious.

"Who are you?(_Good question! _Joseph thought) What have you done with Shirley?(_An even better_ _question!_)" Lelouch asked quietly but intensely.

_"Ah, ah, ah. Temper, temper. __You just do what I say and your girlfriend lives." _The voice said slyly

"I haven't even met this guy and already, I wanna smack him!" Joseph muttered angrily.

"What do you want?" Lelouch asked.

_"Let's just say you're letting a certain someone stay with you at the moment, I would like it if you brought her along." _The voice told him.

"C.C.? He knows her?" Joseph asked curiously.

When they got to Lelouch's room and put this guy on speaker for C.C. to hear, she sprung off Lelouch's bed like no tomorrow.

"Mao!?" C.C. said in actual surprise.

"Yep, definitely knows him." Joseph said, surprised by C.C.'s action. She always seemed so bored with everything. So seeing her like this definitely meant bad news. _"Mao, huh? ...Yep, definitely the name of a self-centered douchebag."_ Joseph concluded.

...

_Subway_

During the train ride to the location Shirley and Mao were, C.C. explained that Mao had a geass and its function was being able to read minds, a geass that she herself gave him.

"Darn it C.C., I know you're suppose to be the old and wise Jedi Master that's only suppose to give confusing riddles to help their Padawan succeed but this would have been a very **helpful** tip to know about!" Joseph argued angrily.

He also knew that if this guy could read minds, he would be a very bad supervillain for Lelouch to go up against.

He had to help him! He had to get back into his body!

But first he would find out where this meeting was going to take place!

...

_Shinjuku Ghettos_

They finally arrived at the location and Joseph was surprised to see it was the abandoned building where Lelouch got his superpower. But then he realized it made sense. After all, the best way to defeat a superhero was to mess with his psyche.

When they finally met face to face, or face to open space in Joseph's situation, he couldn't help but take notice of Mao's outfit.

"Geez, when was the last time this guy when to Comic Con? 30 years ago?" Joseph asked.

And then he saw Shirley tied up, looking scared out of her wits.

"Don't worry new little sis, we'll get you out of this." Joseph said in determination.

"Well, if it isn't Casanova! I'm glad you can both make it. Especially you C.C., your mind is so quiet. It's the only one I can't read." Mao said happily.

"That's right, dude! Which means Lelouch has you at an advantage!" Joseph cheered cockily.

C.C. stepped in front of Lelouch.

"Mao, I-"

***BANG***

C.C. fell down dead.

"Or maybe not." Joseph said deflated.

Shirley let out a muffled scream as she just witness a "murder" right in front of her.

As shocked as Lelouch was, he managed to catching her limp form before it hit the ground.

"C.C.!" Lelouch yelled.

"Please forgive me C.C. But I can't have you give this thief an unfair advantage because of your gift. I'm sorry, so sorry!" Mao frantically said apologetically.

"DAMN YOU!" Lelouch said with hatred.

"There's that temper again. We don't want the game to end this early do we?" Mao asked in a mocking way as he turned the gun to Shirley, who was crying her eyes out.

"Alright, that's it! I was going to wait a bit to see how this confrontation was going to play out, but I'm not taking any chances with this guy! Keep him distracted Lelouch, I'll be back soon!" Joseph said, forgetting Lelouch couldn't hear him, as he flew out of the building and back to the Viceroy Palace.

He then focused his energy on his physical body to wake back up. But once again, he only found himself only able to twitch an eye or crunch his toes.

No longer amused, he closed his eyes and really concentrated

"Come on body! This is no time for games! I need you to finally wake up! Our brother, our new sister, and the Jedi Master need our help!

So please!

Just!

WAKE UP!" He yelled as he suddenly saw the Phoenix charge right at him and was engulfed in red light.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

_Medical Facility_

"A car?!" Euphemia exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah! He's showing off one of his dances to us and running around with all this energy! And as soon he steps onto the crosswalk, this car SLAMS right into him, breaks the windshield, and comes down onto the street like a ragdoll!" Rivalz exclaimed as he recounted their first meeting with Joseph.

"Oh my God!" Euphemia said worriedly about her brother's condition.

"And then like five seconds later, he's springs back up like it didn't even happen!" Rivalz concluded, still amazed by what happened then.

"It was freaky, to say the least." Suzaku added with a chuckle.

"I don't know what your brother's secret is, but I'm telling you right now, he is a superhuman!" Rivalz exclaimed excitedly.

Euphemia and Cornelia both stared in shock by this revelation, Euphemia knew her brother was tough but not that tough! Cornelia was also wondering just what the Hell her brother did in his spare time to build up that durability, she also felt malice and swore she would get her hands on this driver.

"Um, may I ask something Princess Euphemia?" Kallen asked in her sickly tone.

"Please, call me Euphie." Euphemia said kindly. Making Cornelia roll her eyes a bit, she knew she was trying to be friendly but it was still good to make sure people gave their respect when it was due.

"Um, Euphie, I was just wondering. When we met Joseph, he only had 37 cents on him. I know seven years can be a long time, but didn't he have a trust fund of sorts because of his heritage?" Kallen asked curiously.

Euphemia mood turned sad while Cornelia's turned to bitterness.

"Unfortunately, when Lady Rebecca passed, the _**emperor **_decided to wipe away all her assets. Deeming them unnecessary to the Britannian Empire." Cornelia said in a soured tone.

"Joseph was left with nothing." Euphemia said sadly, before looking at his coat and walkman. "Well, nothing except the important values." She said with a smile.

"He did that to his own child?" Kallen asked with shock.

"Aunt Rebecca was probably father's _least_ favorite consort. It was his way of getting revenge on her." Euphemia said with her eyes down in sadness.

Kallen's hatred for the emperor increased ten times that day, she was glad she was with a group that was going to get him off his high throne.

Euphemia couldn't help but notice that one of their friends wasn't here, a Shirley Fenette. That frustrated her a bit, because she wanted ask her some certain questions after Joseph brought up that whole "father-in-law" title to Shirley's father, and she never actually got to ask Mr. Fenette about that since she put all her focus on Joseph's condition instead.

Something that also caught her interest was the card Joseph's friends made for him. One of the messages was a simple "See you soon." with no name attached to it, but Euphemia felt like she seen the handwriting before, a long time ago.

While they were chatting, nobody seemed to notice Nina get close to Joseph. And how she started to lower her head towards his, sweating a bit as she did.

_"Just one tiny, little..." _Nina thought in anticipation.

"I was hoping to meet your friend, Shirley, as well. What kept her from coming today?" Euphemia asked.

"Oh well, she uh..." Suzaku tried to explain, wondering how not to put Lelouch in the conversation. That is until Rivalz started to blurt out:

"She's going on a date with our friend, Le-

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**"

That was the sound of a screaming Joseph as he shot straight up from the hospital bed, wide-eyed and alert. Shocking the others and making them scream as well.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Milly screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Kallen screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Rivalz screamed

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Nina screamed as she fell out of her chair.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Euphemia and Suzaku screamed as they held on tightly to each other.

"WHAT THE FFFFUCKKKKK!" Cornelia shouted as even herself backed away in surprise and shock.

Joseph's yelling finally died down, as did the rest of the group's screams a few seconds later. They caught their breaths and stared at the now awake Joseph in shock. Joseph himself look around for a few seconds, and then at his own body before smiling.

"Cool, awake!" Joseph cheered, but then realized something. "Oh, regular talk again." Joseph said casually.

"...J-Joe?" Milly called out in trepidation, but also hope that what she was she seeing was real.

He then turned to them and smiled widely.

"Hey! Guys visited! Awesome-Possum!" Joseph cheered again.

Euphemia, knowing now this was real, started to smile tearfully.

"J-Joseph..." Euphemia said happily as she went over to give him a hug.

"OH GOD! ALMOST FORGOT!" Joseph practically shrieked, making Euphemia and everyone backpedal in surprise.

"F-forgot what!?" Nina stuttered fearfully as she got back up.

"NO TIME! GOTTA GO!" Joseph yelled as jumped out of the bed in a flash. Not realizing he ripped off the IV bag that was connected to his veins out of his skin, making the group wince.

"COAT! WHERE COAT!" Joseph yelled as he looked frantically around for his coat, which he found on a hanger next to the bed. He grabbed his coat and tore it off the hanger, sending it flying across the room and into the wall, almost hitting Rivalz in the head if he hadn't ducked.

"Dude!" Rivalz yelled in shock.

"WALKMAN?!" He yelled looking for his walkman, which he found on a small table by the bed. "PANTS!?" He yelled as he looked through drawers and found a pair of sweatpants that he clumsily put on.

Kallen tried to intervene.

"Hey! Hey! Calm down, Joseph! Tell us-"

"SHOES?! ...NAH, SCREW SHOES! NOW ONWARD!" Joseph shouted as he pointed at the wall.

Cornelia tried to approached her him to get a handle of the situation.

"Now wait just a minute, what is going-" She didn't get to finish as she suddenly pulled in by a wide-eyed Joseph.

"NO TIIIIIMMMMMMEEEEE!" He shouted as he shook her back and forth and then flinging her onto the hospital bed, breaking the metal legs. Leaving a very frazzled and confused Cornelia lying there. "LATERS!" He shouted to his family and friends as he saluted goodbye and ran towards the wall.

*CRASH!*

To which he then broke through, along with five more layers of wall as he finally made it outside of the palace.

The Student Council and the sisters just stared in shock and confusion at the holes Joseph had made, trying to decipher what the Hell just happened.

"Well...um...at least he...seems fine...physically." Was all Suzaku could muster up to say with an awkward smile.

...

Joseph ran, ran like never before, he had to get back to Lelouch, Shirley, and C.C.!

But then he realized something.

"_...Ah, dang it! I should have kept track which way I was going!"_ Joseph thought angrily.

...

_30 minutes later_

_Shinjuku Ghettos _

"Away from them, yooooooou Bitch..." Joseph in a **very ****_un_**happy tone.

The group stared in shock that Joseph, out of all people, just burst through a wall and was confronting Mao!

"J-Joe?" Shirley said in shock.

"No worry new little sis! Super Coat Man! To Rescue!" Joseph exclaimed heroically as he put his hands on chest and puffed it out.

"Well this was certainly unexpected." C.C. muttered as she struggled to sit back up.

"Hang in there, Jedi Master!" Joseph told her determinedly.

C.C. just rolled her eyes, already wishing he was back in a coma.

"How the hell are you here?! You're suppose to be in a coma!" Mao yelled angrily.

"_Superpowers, _bitch!" Joseph said mockingly as he waved his fingers in front of his face.

_"Looks like a wedge has come between your plans, huh Mao? If you know about my brother, I'm sure you already figured out geass doesn't affect him!" _Lelouch thought with a grin.

Only to have a foot stomp his back, making him grunt in pain.

"Shut up! I still have the upper hand here, I'm the one with a gun!" Mao said with angrily.

"Hey! Let little bro go!" Joseph demanded angrily, starting to move forward towards them.

"Ah, ah, ah. Wouldn't want any accidents do we?" Mao said mockingly as he pointed the gun at Lelouch's head. Joseph stared at him menacingly.

"Let go or else!" Joseph said with gritted teeth.

"Or else what? You'll do a little dance for me?" Mao joked evilly.

Joseph squinted his eyes.

"Know what? ...Yes!" Joseph exclaimed as he grabbed his walkman and held it up high for everyone to see.

_"Wait, what?"_ Everyone thought in confusion.

Joseph smiled wickedly.

"Hit it!" He said as he snapped his fingers and hit the play button.

The sound of latin music started to play.

And he starts to dance, waving his arms around and kicks his legs up in a cuban dance.

The people there stared at him with WTF on their faces. Lelouch and Shirley look at each other, wide eyed, wondering what the hell was going on.

_They call me Cuban Pete_

_I'm the king of the Rumba beat_

_When I play the maracas I go_

_Chic-chic-ky-boom_

_Chic-chic-ky-boom_

(He lip-syncs to the lyrics and pretends he's shaking maracas. He shakes his booty at them at "_Chic-chic-ky-boom __Chic-chic-ky-boom"_)

Mao stares completely dumbfounded by what he was seeing.

"What are you doing?" Mao muttered.

He tried to read Lelouch's and Shirley's mind to see if this was some sort of plan of his but they were just as lost as he was.

_Yes sir, I'm Cuban Pete_

_I'm the craze of my native street_

_When I start to dance everything goes_

_Chic-chic-ky-boom_

_Chic-chic-ky-boom_

(He continues to dance with the beat of the music and pretends to throw the maracas)

_"Well...it's official...he's finally lost his mind." _C.C. deadpanned in her head.

_The senioritas they sing_

_And they swing with "terampero"_

_It's very nice! So full of spice!_

(Joseph dances over to C.C. and lowers down to tip his 'hat' to her and winks)

_So if you like the beat_

_Take a lesson from Cuban Pete_

_And I'll teach you to_

_Chic-chic-ky-boom_

_Chic-chic-ky-boom_

_Chic-chic-ky-boom_

(As Shirley watched him dance, she noticed he was strutting his way towards her, it was then she remembered what happened in that film with the magical mask she watched when she was a kid. He waved his fingers at the end)

_"He's a really modest guy_. _Although he's the hottest guy __In Havana, in Havana." _Shirley sung along with the lyrics, nervously smiling as she did so.

"What the-What are **you **doing?!" Mao shouted in exasperation as all Shirley's mind was saying to herself was: _"Just go along with it."_

_Si, senorita I know_

_That you would like a Chic-ky-boom-chick_

(Joseph sweeps past Mao before he even realizes it and picks up Shirley, bridal style, and continues to dance with her in tow.)

Joseph then starts to the do the "cha-cha-cha" dance with Shirley in his arms, smiling nervously and moving her shoulders to the beat as she still had no idea what to make of this.

"ENOUGH! WHAT! ARE! YOU! DOING?!" Mao shouted in rage as he pointed his gun at them, having enough of the buffoonery in front of him.

"Distracting you! Butt-munch!" Joseph exclaimed happily as he shook his body side to side.

Mao's eyes widen and before he could do anything else, he was suddenly pushed to the ground by C.C., whose wounds had recovered.

Joseph quickly put down Shirley and rushed over to Mao.

Mao started to get up and aimed his gun, only for his hand to be gripped by Joseph and turned **180° **the other way. Mao screamed in pain at that, to which then Joseph kicked his shin, breaking it in half, putting Mao in even more excruciating pain as he fell to the ground.

Joseph leered over him, his mood turned from playful to deadly serious.

"Wa-wait! Just wa-" Mao tried to beg before his mouth was gripped by Joseph, his nails digging into his jaw.

Joseph brought him in close. Mao's pupils shrank as he stared into the **empty**, demented eyes of the dimwit.

"Flash Gordon called...wants clothes back..." Joseph said with a whisper.

Mao just stared in confusion.

_"What the he-"_

Mao never got to finish that thought as he was suddenly thrown out of the building, crashing through the ceiling and being sent miles into the air.

...

_Tokyo__ Settlement_

A man drove along the highway, minding his own business. He made sure not to be a hassle to anyone, which made his life easier and simpler. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to hassle anyone anymore, but he didn't question it. He just kept driving. No matter how hungry or tired he was. He just. Kept. Driving.

***SPLAT***

Something suddenly impacted on the driver's windshield, and it splattered all over like a bucket of organs and blood.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" The driver high-pitched shrieked as he lost control of his car and crashed into a low-barring wall.

...

_Shinjuku Ghettos_

"Annnnnnddddd stay out!" Joseph declared as he pointed to the hole he made that Mao launched through.

Lelouch, Shirley, and C.C. didn't say anything, they just looked on with their mouths wide open and eyes showing off all their whites, in awe of the abilities Joseph had.

_"Joseph...just how powerful are you?__" _Lelouch asked himself.

He was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by Joseph, his dead serious demeanor completely gone.

"Little bro! Thank Zeus!" Joseph cried in relief as he swung his brother back and forth. "A-OK?!" He asked as he pulled him back and looked him over.

"I'm fine, Joe." Lelouch told him, trying to put him at ease.

"You sure?" Joseph asked.

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Yes!" Lelouch emphasized.

"Just making sure." Joseph said as he pulled Lelouch into another hug, gentler this time.

"(Sighs) I'm okay, we all are, thanks to you." Lelouch told him as he returned the hug, actually feeling grateful for once that his brother had intervened.

Joseph then went over to Shirley, whose bindings were untied by C.C., and swooped her off her feet as he hugged her and spun her around.

"New little sis!" Joseph said happily, glad she was okay.

"Joe! I didn't expect us to meet again this way, but I'm sure glad we did!" Shirley said happily as she returned the hug, tears forming in her eyes.

"And Jedi Master!" Joseph cheered as put down Shirley and pulled C.C. into her own tight hug.

"Long time, no see." C.C. muttered as she struggled for breath. "I must say, that was pretty clever of you to distract Mao with your dancing, he was so focused on you that he didn't even notice me or read Lelouch's mind." C.C. said in a surprised tone when Joseph put her down.

"Psssh, old trick in book." Joseph said offhandedly.

"I seriously doubt that." C.C. said in a deadpan tone.

"Lelouch!" Shirley exclaimed as she ran over to him and embraced him tightly.

"Shirley." Lelouch said quietly as he embraced her back. "I'm so sorry for what that psycho did. You never should have been apart of this." Lelouch told her quietly.

Shirley looked up at him.

"Lelouch, is what that man said true? Are you really Zero?" Shirley asked quietly.

Lelouch winced as he realized just how much Shirley witnessed and heard today. From his identity revealed to C.C. coming back to life, he felt like he didn't have much of a choice of what he had to do next.

"...I'm sorry Shirley." Lelouch said regretfully as he activated his geass.

"No!" Joseph yelled as he **smacked **Lelouch in his geass eye, making him back away from a confused and bewildered Shirley.

"OW! Joseph, what are you doing?!" Lelouch asked angrily as held his hand over his eye.

"No memory erasing! Cliche, bro, cliche!" Joseph said in a bossy tone.

"What the Hell am I suppose to do?" Lelouch asked in annoyance, remembering the downside to Joseph's interventions.

"Fill in! Girlfriend finds out, superhero tells all!" Joseph explained, making Shirley blush madly.

"She's not-" Lelouch tried to reason with Joseph, but he just grabbed him by the shoulders to gather his full attention.

"Deserves knowing, very trusting. Come on bro, your Mary Jane, your Lois Lane, your Peggy Carter, your Pepper Potts...!" Joseph reasoned excitedly.

"Joe..." Lelouch said, trying to get his brother's attention.

"...Your Betty Ross, your Jane Foster, your Iris West, your Vanessa-"

"Joseph! I get it." Lelouch called out to him.

Joseph then made it his way over to Shirley and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Give trust, get trust. Come on, coooome oooon, cooooommeee oooooonnn." Joseph egged on happily with Shirley in tow, smiling awkwardly as she had no idea what was going on.

Lelouch looked at them for a moment, he then looked at C.C. who just shrugged her shoulders, and just sighed after awhile.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" Lelouch asked himself.

"Alright!" Joseph cheered in a faux-deep voice, making Shirley giggle.

"I believe you have your own explaining to do as well, Joseph. From the looks of it, you came right out of bed." C.C. commented.

"Yeah! How know?" Joseph asked obliviously.

C.C. just stared at him with half-closed eyes. He looked down and realized his appearance.

"Oh, right." Joseph said with his dopey smile.

"And if you just came out of your coma, how did you even know we were here?" Lelouch asked as he approached Joseph.

Joseph smiled wide, knowing he had quite a story for them.

...

_Harbor_

Ohgi stood near the docks where their botched rescue attempt occurred last night, his mind still conflicted.

"Zero…You weren't yourself yesterday. Why do I have this feeling?" Ohgi said to himself.

However, when he looked down, he noticed something in the rocks. He got a closer look and saw it was a woman, a woman with blood on her!

"Are you all right?" Ohgi asked with concern as he immediately went down and got her out of there. "Talk to me, hey, come on." He said, seeing if she was dead. Her groaning answered his question. "You're alive." Ohgi said with relief

"So...it's you...Zero!" The silver-haired woman muttered weakly before slipping into unconsciousness, making Ohgi's eyes widen with surprise.

...

_Toyko Settlement_

With a little help from Lelouch's geass and Joseph's jumping abilities, the three of them made their way out of the ghettos and back into the settlement on top of a tall building, the building because Joseph thought it they should be extra careful when talking about "secret things." It was then Lelouch told Shirley everything. His past, the mission to destroy Britannia, the power he acquired from C.C., and how it all led him to becoming Zero, or "Captain Zero" from Joseph's perspective.

Joseph, on his end, told them what he experienced when he fell into his coma. The place he went to, the fact that he was able to do astral projection or "became a ghost" as he put it, and how it lead up to him being able to help the his brother, Shirley, and C.C.

"Grabbed coat, walkman, pants!" Joseph explained as he pointed at his coat, his walkman, and his sweatpants "Ran through walls!" Then he ran around in circles while making a bursting noise to emphasize he burst through the walls "Running, running, running, found you guys! Stared at supervillain dead in eye, said "Away from them, yoooooouuuu-"

"We were there for the last part, remember?" C.C. said with a bored tone.

"Oh yeah." Joseph said with his dopey smile.

Lelouch was astonished by what his brother told him, the fact that Joseph saw the same visions he did when he first got his geass just raised more questions about his connection to the power. The astral projection was an interesting phenomenon though, could be very useful later on for his rebellion.

Shirley on the hand, was just trying to comprehend everything she had heard just now.

One, her prince charming was an _actual prince_! Two, he gained what was basically a superpower called Geass from this "C.C." woman that was apparently immortal after nearly dying in a war zone. And three, he was the masked rebel leader, Zero, of the Black Knights! Not only that, _Kallen _was one of the members, as she apparently was faking her illness to fight alongside him, even though she had no idea he was Zero!

When he gave his backstory of how his mother was murdered by Britannians and the assassination was what left Nunnally blind and crippled, tears instantly fell down her eyes. It was horrible that those two had to endure such a traumatic moment in their lives, the fact that Nunnally was still able to smile and be the caring person she is today made Shirley love her all the more.

And when she was told what the Emperor's response was to the assassination, her blood started to boil. The fact that he called his wife's death "old news" and his own daughter "a weakling" was cruel, but then exiling his children to a foreign country all because his son demanded answers was downright _**despicable**_! How anyone could ever support a man like that, she could not understand.

And their time in Japan before the colonization explained their friendship to Suzaku, and the war-torn area they must have seen certainly gave credit to Lelouch's hatred for his own country and his reasonings for becoming Zero.

After all the revelations, she could only think of one question at the moment.

"So, 'little bro' is not just a nickname? You're really Joseph's brother?" Shirley asked.

"Um, yes?" Lelouch said, surprised that was her first response.

"Ya-huh." Joseph said happily.

Shirley looked back and forth at them for a moment.

"Huh. When I look at it, I can really see the similarities. Same jawline, same eyes." Shirley commented with a smile.

"Hell yeah! Identical twins!" Joseph cheered as he wrapped his arm around Lelouch's shoulders, pulled him in next to his cheek, and pointed at his face and Lelouch's.

"Barely." Lelouch said with a chuckle, making Shirley giggle at the exchange.

"Joseph, before you slipped into unconsciousness back in Narita, was there anything you saw out of the ordinary?" C.C. asked, wanting to know about Joseph's situation.

"Hmmm...well, planets aligned, nun praying(making C.C.'s eyes lift up in surprise), kids with symbols..." Joseph listed casually. "Suzaku doing...stuff..." Joseph said awkwardly as he didn't want to reveal Suzaku's tragic past like that.

"You saw him killing his father didn't you?" Lelouch asked sadly, surprising Joseph and shocking Shirley.

"What?!" Shirley asked, not sure how many more revelations she could handle.

"I'll explain later..." Lelouch told her gently, knowing she already had a lot to deal with today.

"You know?" Joseph asked curiously.

"Yeah, I know because I saw the same things you did. The visions were cause by C.C. when she sent trigger images to Suzaku trying to save me back in Narita. ...Joseph, it's because of us that you were put into a coma in the first place. I'm...I'm so sorry." Lelouch said as he put his head down in shame.

"Hey, all good. Didn't know." Joseph said as he pulled Lelouch into a hug. "But how?" He asked.

"We believe you have some sort of connection to geass, one that your mother had a hand in when she looked for that so-called 'cure' for you." C.C. told him.

"Really? ...Awesome! Superhero too!" Joseph said ecstatically. "Super Coat Man for real-sies!" He said heroically as he puffed out his chest with his hands on his sides.

Lelouch and Shirley laughed, C.C. just rolled her eyes.

"I am curious though, did Lady Rebecca ever actually share details with you on what this 'cure' was and how she found it?" Lelouch asked, trying to understand the phenomenon.

Joseph thought about it, putting his hand on his chin.

"...Nope, never asked." Joseph said casually.

"You were never curious?" Lelouch asked confused.

"Nope, didn't care. Was alive because mom made so, all that mattered." Joseph said with his dopey smile, happy that not only did his mother keep him alive, she gave him a superpower as well.

Seeing how Lelouch wasn't going to get any answers this way, he decided to drop it for now. He went over to Shirley.

"I owe you an apologize as well, Shirley. Not just for what Mao did, but the fact that your father almost died because of my actions, I could have planned the operation better and gotten civilians out if I needed to. Instead, I let my pride get the better of me and many innocent people died because of it, your father and my brother almost being one of them. I don't know if I can ever make up for it." Lelouch said solemnly.

"Oh, Lulu. I know you didn't mean for any of that to happen, the fact that you feel guilty about it but also knowing that you're doing all this so Nunnally can live and thrive in a better world proves that you're a good person. I meant what I said back in that warehouse, I forgive you, truly." Shirley said kindly as she hugged a surprised Lelouch.

After a moment, Lelouch returned the hug.

"You're too good for this world, Shirley." Lelouch said with a smile, making Shirley blush.

"(Sighs lovingly) Young love..." Joseph said romantically as he watched the two of them while pulling C.C. into a cheek-to-cheek hug, making her sigh with annoyance.

"Besides, you have Super Coat Man to help you in situations like that." Shirley said cheekily as she gestured to Joseph.

"Oh Yeah! Captain Zero and Super Coat Man to rescue!" Joseph said enthusiastically as he made a pose like he was flying. Making Shirley and Lelouch chuckle.

To which then, Shirley came over to Joseph and gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for saving my father, new big brother!" Shirley said with a huge smile. Confusing Lelouch and exciting Joseph.

"Fuhgeddaboudit, new little sis!" Joseph said in a faux Italian accent as he patted her on the head.

"Am I missing something?" Lelouch asked, very confused by what was going on.

"So dense, little bro." Joseph commented, making Shirley giggle.

"He always is." C.C. agreed in her neutral tone, annoying Lelouch.

"Welp, gotta get back. Eup likely worried, Corn likely angry." Joseph told them as he started to stretch his legs out.

"Okay, but keep what you experienced while you were in a coma a secret for now. We don't need Cornelia to think you finally lost it." Lelouch advised him.

"Psssh, always been lost." Joseph said proudly, making Lelouch deadpan at him.

"Will we see you at Ashford tomorrow?" Shirley asked.

"Abso-Toda-lutely! But no tell, surprise." Joseph told them excitedly.

"Of course." Shirley said happily.

"Laters!" Joseph said as he ran towards the edge of the building.

Making Lelouch realize something.

"Wait! Could you get us-" Lelouch didn't get to ask his question as Joseph was already jumping from building to building, letting out cheers as he did so. "...down from here, first?" Lelouch finished with a mutter. "I love him, but he can be so absentminded sometimes." He said to Shirley tiredly, making her giggle.

Shirley then approached C.C.

"C.C., you gave Mao's his geass as well, correct?" Shirley asked.

"Yes." C.C. said simply.

"Can I ask why he turned out the way he did?" Shirley asked.

C.C. stayed quiet for a moment, just staring at the city below her.

"Mao was only seven years old when I made my contract with him. He was an orphan who'd never known the love of the parent. He couldn't read or write and knew nothing of good and evil. When I gave the geass power to Mao, it isolated him. In his mind, I became his only friend and his lover, though I was still a perfect stranger. I'm the only one he even thought of as human. I was Mao's entire world. I'm afraid the same might happen to you." C.C. said with a touch of sadness.

After a moment, Shirley surprisingly came up to her and gave her a hug from behind.

"So many people you had to let go of...I can't imagine how lonely that must have been..." Shirley said with understanding.

C.C. looked back in surprise, not expecting her reaction.

"C.C., listen to me. I won't let Geass destroy me. I will conquer its power and bend it to my will, and use it to change the world. I'll fulfill your desire and my own. Then I will complete the contract that he couldn't achieve. So please…" Lelouch told her gently.

Shirley smiled, reminded why she fell in love with him.

...Tell me. Are you two trying to comfort me? Pity me?" C.C. asked in a neutral tone.

"Sometimes it's okay to be comforted, it's what makes us human." Shirley said kindly, surprising C.C.

"Call it a contract. This time, it's from me to you." Lelouch said with a smile as he held his hand out to her.

"...Very well then. I accept your contract." C.C. said with her own smile as she shook his hand.

"So...how exactly are we going to get down?" Shirley asked awkwardly.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

"You're telling me that you can't find **_one man _**in a long, black overcoat, sweatpants, and scars on his chest! The how damn Area knows who he is, surely someone spotted him!" Cornelia seethed at the soldier in front of her told her they haven't found her brother yet.

His friends had gone home since then, as confused as they were about the whole scenario. Euphemia promised she would send word to Suzaku when they saw him again.

"Your highness, you have to understand, his appearance matches a lot of the elevens in the ghettos and he could be anywhere at this point." The said with sweat pouring down his face.

"I don't care if he's on the damn moon! I want him found and I want him brought back here now!" Cornelia ordered him with rage.

"Who?" Joseph asked from behind her.

"You!" Cornelia shouted at him, before realizing who was talking to her. "Wha-Joseph?!" She said in bewilderment as she turned around to face him.

"Joe!" Euphemia shouted with joy as she ran into her brother's arms and gave him a tight hug.

"Hey, Eup!" Joseph said happily as he spun her around a bit.

"Thank goodness you're back, and awake!" Euphemia said happily with tears in her eyes as Joseph put her down.

"Yep-per-rooni. Can't keep down!" Joseph cheered as he pounded his chest, making Euphemia laugh.

Then they noticed the look of scrutiny in Cornelia's eyes and they both stood there awkwardly.

"Hey Corn..." Joseph said awkwardly.

"Corn?" The soldier asked. To which Cornelia looked at him with soul-piercing eyes, making him run away in fear. She turned back to Joseph.

"Joseph...can you explain why when you woke up, you left in a panicked state, throwing me on your hospital bed, and breaking through six layers of wall to God knows where?" Cornelia asked in a calm voice.

"...go to bathroom." Joseph finally said after a long pause.

Euphemia and Cornelia stared at him for a moment or two. For Euphemia, it was bewilderment, for Cornelia, it was calculating.

"The bathroom...all that...just so you could use...the bathroom." Cornelia asked slowly, trying to understand the madness of it all.

"Yep, had to really go..." Was all Joseph said in a simple tone, and before Cornelia could say anything else, Joseph held his hand up to stop her. "Before lecture...sorry. Not for walls, but leaving Pendragon." He said solemnly, surprising Euphemia and Cornelia.

"Start of journey, didn't think of siblings. The feelings, the mental hurt over years, didn't see. Very selfish, so sorry, didn't deserve." Joseph told them with sadness in his voice.

"Joe..." Euphemia said quietly, not expecting to hear this.

Surprisingly, Cornelia just sighed.

"Well, to be fair, I think I owe you an apology for that time as well." Cornelia said, this time surprising Joseph and Euphemia. "I admit, I was probably harder on you than I needed to be when I decided to put you in those etiquette classes. I thought if I could shape you in the image that the Emperor would approve of, people would no longer see you as a joke, as The Dimwitted Prince. But now I realize, I would have also had taken away the very thing that made you who you are, and that itself is unforgivable." Cornelia told him in a gentle tone.

She walked up to him and pulled him into a gentle embrace.

"You drive me up the walls sometimes, but I'm just glad you're up and about, being your usual self again." Cornelia said with a smile.

The surprise in Joseph's face turned to glee and he returned the embrace.

"Me too." He said simply. Euphemia watched the display with happy tears in her eyes. "Group hug!" Joseph cheered, pulling Euphemia into the embrace, making her and Cornelia laugh.

"Next time though, if you have to go to bathroom so badly, just ask where the nearest restroom is, instead of running off like a madman." Cornelia lectured in a tired tone.

"No prob! However, explain this!" Joseph asked with scrutiny as he pointed at his trimmed beard, confusing his sister.

"What?" Cornelia asked, not understanding.

"Shaved beard! All puffiness, gone! Not cool!" Joseph told her in an annoyed tone.

"Oh please, you looked like a mixture of a hippie and a lumberjack! You should be thanking me!" Cornelia said in disbelief. "The only reason I didn't shave the whole thing off is because Euphie wouldn't allow it." She told him.

"Best sister ever!" Joseph said with a thumbs up to Euphemia, making her giggle.

_"Seems things are finally going back to normal." _Euphemia said happily.

Glad to have her brother back and glad to have this day end on a good note.

_To be Continued_

...

**And thus, my second longest chapter. Now this was one, I really looked forward to writing as I wanted to incorporate Joseph's dance strategy(for those wondering, just imagine Joseph dancing the same way Jim Carrey did when himself did the "Cuban Pete" sequence in _The Mask_, because that's where he got the idea from, that and _Guardians of the Galaxy_), as well as Shirley finding out about Lelouch's past and his secret identity, and of course Joseph's time in astral projection, which will play an essential part later in the story. Also, like I said, I wanted to be quick and done with the Mao arc, so don't expect the guy to come back, he is 100% DEAD. Next couple of chapters will incorporate canon, but they will have original material with Joseph as I want to stretch his time with his family and friends before we get to the real meat of the show. Anyway, hope you liked the confrontation, comment and tell me what you think.**

**P.S. In case it wasn't clarified enough, the driver is suppose to be the guy who hit Joseph with his car and then Lelouch geassed him to drive away and never be a hassle to anyone ever again from chapter 7.**


	22. Nunne Time!

_Student Council Building_

_Dining Room_

At this moment, Lelouch was doing one of his favorite activities. Spending time with his little sister. After what happened with Mao and Shirley yesterday, he needed some normalcy again.

"It's been a long time since we spent time by ourselves huh?" Nunnally said thankfully.

"You know even Sayoko and Naomi need a little time off now and again. Starting today, I'll be staying home for a while." Lelouch said warmly.

"Lately, you've been out of the house so much I was curious. Have you and Shirley finally started officially dating?" Nunnally asked curiously.

While Nunnally couldn't see it, she could tell Lelouch started to blush.

"Ah, well..." Lelouch sputtered his words. Nunnally couldn't help but giggle.

"It makes me happy that you finally found someone, big brother. And Shirley's perfect for you, she'll keep you out of trouble." Nunnally said happily.

"Hey! Since when have I gotten in trouble?" Lelouch asked surprised.

"If I had a nickel every time you asked that question." C.C. said with a smirk as she came into the room. Lelouch glared annoyingly at her.

"Good morning Miss C.C. Did you sleep well?" Nunnally asked her kindly.

"I did. Thank you for asking." C.C. said, returning the kindness.

Lelouch couldn't help but roll his eyes as he remembered that she once again took his bed and he was forced to sleep on the floor.

...

_Ohgi's Apartment_

The silver-haired woman slowly opened her eyes as she stirred awake. Ohgi had a warily look on his face and held a gun in his hand just in case she tried anything. However, the woman wasn't afraid as much as she was confused.

"Are you waking up now?" Ohgi asked her in a serious manner.

"Yes…" Was all she said.

"What were you doing in that place, passed out like that? What you're name?" Ohgi asked, almost interrogation-like.

"I am…My name is...What is my name…?" She said in a confused manner.

"You don't remember? What about Zero? You are talking about him before?" Ohgi said in surprise.

"Who's Zero?" She said, not know what he was talking about. Ohgi was astounded to say the least

"What am I doing? I practically betray him and why…" Ohgi said as his hand shook with anger at himself.

"But I don't know anything." She said worriedly, before covering herself up realizing she was naked underneath. "Nothing at all." She said quietly.

"Sorry, I was able to undress you with my eye closed. But getting clothes back on wasn't so…but I turned up heat, so I thought you'd be all right." Ohgi said awkwardly.

"Thank goodness." She said, confusing Ohgi. "Anyone could have picked me up out there, but I got someone nice." She said kindly.

"...Huh..." Was all Ohgi could say, not sure what to make of that.

...

_Student Council Meeting Room_

"Yes, I've read through your proposal for reorganizing the Black Knights. I've got a few changes, but overall I like where you're going with this. I'll run it by Ohgi tomorrow." Lelouch told Diethard over the phone.

_"Thanks. I appreciate that."_ Diethard said gratefully.

"Next draft, I'd like you to insert a chart that forecasts how the cells-base structure will be implemented. That's all." Lelouch instructed.

_"So that was the final test. I guess I passed."_ Diethard said with Lelouch was guessing was a knowing smirk.

Lelouch rolled his eyes and hung up.

_"Diethard. Though he's Britannian, he's proving even more useful than I'd hoped. And I can't forgot what Joseph told me about him saving my life. Still, the fact that he only did it for a story makes him unpredictable, I have to keep an eye on him."_ Lelouch calculated.

It was then Milly, Rivalz And Suzaku entered the room. Lelouch noticed Milly and Rivalz have sullen looks on their faces.

"Hey guys. Is something wrong?" Lelouch asked concerned.

"The world is a cruel place, that's what wrong!" Rivalz exclaimed sadly as he sat down in a slump.

"Uh..." Lelouch said, very confused.

"He's just sad from the news he heard." Suzaku said sympathically.

"News?" Lelouch asked.

"Oh Lelouch, they've got another blind date set up for me. I may not be able to wriggle out of this one. What do you think I should do about it?" Milly asked in a depressed manner.

"Can't you just say 'No'"? Kallen asked as she entered the room with Nina.

"Oh, hello you two. Unfortunately, that can't be the case." Milly said defeatedly.

"It's your mother who set it up right?" Lelouch asked with scrutiny. Milly nodded.

Lelouch never liked Milly's mother, she had a typical noble attitude. That being stuck-up and always belittling anyone who she thought was below her. For years, she has tried to gain back the nobility status of the Ashford name, specifically by marrying off her daughter. The idea of the revealing Lelouch's and Nunnally's identities came up once or twice but Reuben was able to put a stop to it.

He thought about using his geass on her to lay off Milly once or twice, but he was afraid it would raise too many questions.

It was then Shirley finally made her way into the room.

"Hey, everyone!" Shirley greeted happily as she took a seat next to Lelouch.

"Ah! Just the special someone we were waiting for! Now that you're here, you two can give us the juicy details about your date!" Milly said with a Cheshire grin, happy to get her mind off more depressing things.

"Yeah, did you guys hold hands?" Suzaku asked.

"Did you kiss!?" Rivalz asked excited.

"Did Shirley finally profess her love for you?!" Milly exclaimed esctatcally.

"Milly!" Shirley shrieked with red in her face.

"So wait, does this mean you two are officially together?" Kallen chimed in.

"Guys! It was one date! Relax!" Lelouch said in exasperation.

"Ah-ha! So you admit it was a date! Come on, tell us what happened." Milly practically ordered.

"Nothing special if that's what you're wondering. We just talked for a bit, he learned some things about me, and I learned some things about him." Shirley said as she smiled at Lelouch while slipping her hand into his under the table.

"Yeah...what she said." Lelouch said with a smile of his own, gripping Shirley's hand in return.

"Awww, you two make such a cute couple. Joseph will be so happy to know he's one step closer to having a little sister." Milly said teasingly.

"You're exhausting." Lelouch said as he rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, have you guys heard from Joseph? Suzaku told me your visit with him was shocking to say the least." He asked, already knowing what happened but deciding to play ignorant.

"Not yet, but Princess Euphemia told me he was up and dancing off the walls again like before. I wouldn't be surprised we saw him again soon." Suzaku said with reassurance.

"What was that about yesterday, anyway? The guy hightailed out of there like there was no tomorrow." Rivalz said, still amazed that Joseph broke through six layers of wall like it was nothing.

"I guess we'll have to ask when we see him again." Kallen said.

Nina on the hand was thinking about that moment she and Joseph shared. It was only for a single second, but she knew her lips touched his lips.

_"My kiss woke him up."_ Nina thought in amazement.

"Thinking about your knight in shining armor, Nina?" Milly asked with a sly grin, disrupting Nina from her thoughts.

"Uh...well..." Nina stuttered with a blush, not sure what to say.

"You're so cute when you're nervous. I would make a move soon if I were you though. Competition is starting to heat up, isn't that right...Kallen?" Milly finished with a click of her tongue.

Suddenly the whole council had their attention on her.

"I-wha-where-I don't..." Kallen sputtered her words as her face turned even redder than Nina and Shirley's combined.

"Your mom can be quite a gossip, and I saw the way you looked at him when we went to the medical facility. I have enough experience to know that you have the hots for his highness." Milly teased.

"Oh come on! Even Joseph is picking up ladies?!." Rivalz said in angry, envious tone. "OW!" He screeched when Shirley reached over and pinched his ear in a tight grip.

"Don't be a perv, Rivalz!" Shirley chided.

"Kallen, do you really?" Lelouch asked, surprised that _two_ friends of his like his brother.

"NO! Milly and my mother are reading **_way _**too much into it. I just see Joseph as a friend, that's it!" Kallen said, very annoyed this subject won't go away.

"Awww, thanks Kallen." Joseph said gratefully from behind her.

"You're welcome." Kallen told him with a smile. A moment passed before she realized what was going on. "What the-Joe!?" Kallen exclaimed as she whipped back around to see him standing behind her with a huge smile on his face. The scar on his head still had stitches but had healed somewhat since the Narita incident.

"Joseph!" The council cheered, happy to see him, especially Nina who started blushing.

"Where'd you come from?" Lelouch asked, genuinely surprised as he didn't even notice Joseph come into the room.

"Front door." He said simply with his dopey smile.

That explained a lot, he usually came in through the window.

_"Well he did say he wanted it to be a surprise." _Lelouch thought with amusement.

"Missed you guys!" Joseph cheered as he pulled Kallen into a tight hug from behind and swinging her around.

"I missed you too, Joseph, really...please let me breath." Kallen said under strained breath.

"Group hug!" Joseph exclaimed, not hearing Kallen.

To which everyone did, Nina quickly came in first and tightly gripped his waist, and Lelouch just gave a simple wrap around his shoulder.

"Good to see you, Joseph." Lelouch said simply.

"You too, little bro." Joseph said happily.

"I'm so glad to see you awake again!" Nina said tearfully.

"We all are." Milly said.

"Guys, seriously. Need air." Kallen wheezed under all the tightness she was receiving.

"Oh, sorry Kallen." Shirley said guiltily. Though she did wonder if this was just part of her sickly act or she really couldn't breath at the moment.

"So, are you going to stick around this time or are you going to destroy more walls?" Rivalz joked.

"Rivalz!" Shirley shouted angrily as she slapped him in the back of the head.

"Sorry!" Rivalz said as he groaned in pain, rubbing his head. "But seriously, what was that yesterday?" Rivalz asked.

"Bathroom." Joseph said in a simple casual manner.

The group stared at him in confusion.

"Bathroom?" Lelouch asked as if he didn't hear him correctly. _"Was that his excuse for Cornelia?" _

"Yep. Tiny bladder." Joseph said with a dopey smile as he pointed downwards.

Shirley couldn't help but giggle at his excuse.

"Didn't they a have catheter installed?" Kallen asked.

"Oh, don't drink coffee." Joseph said casually.

"What? No, I mean...nevermind." Kallen replied in exasperation.

"Well either way, we're just glad to see up and about again." Suzaku said with gentle happiness.

Joseph put his attention on Suzaku and looked at him with sadness, confusing him.

"Um, everything okay?" Suzaku asked confused.

To which then Joseph walked over and pulled him into a gentle hug, really confusing him and the council. Except for Lelouch and Shirley.

"Uh..." Was Suzaku could say, not sure what was happening right now.

"Shhh...all okay man...it be alright." Joseph said quietly as he patted his back like a baby.

Suzaku wasn't sure what to make of this, but he made sure to return the hug to not seem rude.

Lelouch and Shirley looked on with sympathetic expressions and she thought about what she was told the night before.

(Flashback)

_Lelouch, Shirley, and C.C. were outside of the student council building, Lelouch explained how Suzaku killed his own father. Shirley stood there shocked._

_"But...officials say the Prime Minister killed himself as an act against the fighting that was happening." Shirley said, trying to understand._

_"I thought that as well...but when I think about it, it doesn't make sense." Lelouch said in a calculating manner._

_"What do you mean?" Shirley asked._

_"I met Genbu Kururugi a few times during my stay, and I can say right now he was not the type of man to give in so easily like that. No, what he had planned was probably the opposite." Lelouch deduced._

_"Most likely he would have called for an all-out resistance against Britannia. Even if it meant the entire country perishing." C.C. said in her bored tone._

_"My thoughts exactly." Lelouch added._

_"What!? But why would he...what about all the __civilians? Families?" Shirley asked in shock._

_"Pride can often blind one's decisions, Shirley. I know from experience." C.C. said while subtlety looking at Lelouch, who gave her an annoyed look._

_"And it's probably why Suzaku did what he did. He thought he be helping the Japanese in the long run." Lelouch concluded._

_"Well, he kind of did, didn't he?" Shirley said after a moment._

_Lelouch and C.C. looked at her with confusion._

_"I mean, things for the Japanese are bad, but at least they were still left with a fighting chance. In a way, if Suzaku hadn't stopped his father, you and Nunnally might have perished when Japan was invaded. And you never would have been able to become Zero, giving the people here newfound hope." Shirley said optimistically._

_Lelouch looked at her in surprise, he never thought about it that way._

_"Still, I can't even imagine the guilt Suzaku must feel. Killing his own father at such a young age, what that can do to a person later on." Shirley said sadly. _

_She walked up to Lelouch and grabbed his hand, surprising him._

_"Lelouch, you'll look after him, won't you? I know he's technically your enemy but he's still our friend, he's a good person. We just have to show him that we will care about him, no matter what. You'll do that, won't you?" Shirley pleaded with determination._

_Lelouch didn't know what to say at first, he never seen Shirley with such fire before. _

_"Yes Shirley, of course. He's my best friend after all." Lelouch said with a smile._

_Shirley smiled and hugged him._

(Flashback End)

...

Joseph pulled back and looked at Suzaku in the eyes.

"You, good person, okay?" Joseph told him in a serious manner as he poked his chest.

"Um...okay?" Suzaku said, still not sure what brought this on.

"Okay...get here training buddy!" Joseph said after a moment with excitement, putting Suzaku in a headlock and giving him a noogie. "Noogie, noogie, noogie..." He repeated, making Suzaku laugh.

"Alright, alright, come on." Suzaku said, trying to get out of Joseph's grip.

"So! What missed?" Joseph asked after letting go of Suzaku. He already knew, but like Lelouch, he decided to play ignorant.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that Lelouch and Shirley officially went on their first date!" Milly said excitedly, also making Joseph excited.

"New sis! Good job, bro!" Joseph said as he wrapped Lelouch and Shirley around his shoulders.

"It was just one date, Joe." Lelouch deadpanned.

"And Nunne?" Joseph asked in anticipation.

"She's good. She'll be happy to know you're back. Especially now that she's gotten over that fever." Lelouch told him, the last part got Joseph's immediate attention.

"**Fever**?" Joseph asked with a double take.

"Yeah, she had a fever few days ago. But it's okay, she's alright no-DAHHH!"

***BAM***

Lelouch didn't get finish his statement as Joseph suddenly pushed him into to the wall that was few feet away from him and landed with a THUD.

"COMING NUNNE!" Joseph shouted frantically as he ran to Nunnally's room.

The council looked at him in bewilderment while Lelouch muttered a simple, "ow..."

"You know, Lelouch. I think Joseph is a bigger Siscon than you." Suzaku joked as he helped Lelouch back up.

"I am not a Siscon!" Lelouch argued with annoyance.

"What's a siscon?" Nina asked.

"Nothing!" Lelouch said with embarrassment.

...

"How was your classes today, Nunnally?" Naomi asked.

"They were just fine, Naomi. Thank you for asking." Nunnally said with a smile.

"Any plans today?" Sayoko asked.

Is was then Nunnally's ears perked up and she smiled towards the door.

"I think I do now." Nunnally said excited.

"Huh?" Sayoko and Naomi said, confused.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, practically taking them off the hinges. Startling Naomi and putting Sayoko into a combat position with kunais in her hands.

"WHERE BE BEAUTIFUL SISTEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR!?" Joseph asked as he shouted to the ceiling like a wolf howls at the moon.

"Big brother!" Nunnally said with glee, happy to hear brother's voice again.

"Joe?" Naomi and Sayoko said in surprise.

"There she is!" Joseph exclaimed as he pointed at her.

He ran over to her, scooped her out of her wheelchair and into a tight hug.

"Oh Joseph, I missed you so much!" Nunnally said tearfully.

"You too, little sis!" Joseph said happily. "Lelouch said fever. What fever!? Tongue dry?! What rhyme with orange?! Joseph asked in a protective big brother tone as he put his hand on her forehead.

"It's okay, Joe. It was just a small cold, I'm fine now." Nunnally said with a giggle. But what about you? Lelouch told me you were in a coma." Nunnally said concerned as she touched the scar on his head.

"Yep. But better now!" Joseph told in reassurance as he put her back down in her wheelchair.

"I'm glad." Nunnally said happily.

"Nao and Lightning Servant! Missed both too!" Joseph said happily as he hugged Naomi and Sayoko.

"We missed you too." Naomi said sweetly as she returned the hug.

"Things weren't as lively as you made them, it'll be good to have that back." Sayoko said, also hugging him back.

"Abso-toda-lutely!" Joseph said as he pointed his finger in the air with triumph, as if it was life's mission.

He also realized something in that moment. Out of everyone he needed to make up time for, it was definitely Nunnally. Lelouch told him how worried she was about him and even the dream she had about him. That was something that intrigued Joseph, that noise he heard back in the void really was his sister. But why? Did she have a connection to geass as well? And why was she was able to see and hear him but not vice-versa? So many questions with no answers, it was like watching a season of Lost!

He tried going into ghost form again, but for some reason he wasn't able to do so. He simply tried going to sleep at first, but all he did was sleep. Then he tried meditating again, but that didn't do anything except calm his mind. He thought about putting himself into another coma but he didn't want to put his family and friends through that again. For now, it would just have to be something he looks into later, right now it was Nunne time!

Besides, it was clear he needed to be the definitive big brother for her!

...Besides Lelouch that is!

...And Eup!

"Come on, Nunne." Joseph casually as he went behind her and started pushing her wheelchair, surprising her.

"Oh, um, where are we going?" Nunnally asked, confused.

"You'll see." Joseph said happily, not realizing what was wrong with that statement. "Bye girls." He waved them goodbye casually.

"Uh...bye?" Naomi said with a confused wave. "Did you pull a kunai out of your uniform?" She asked Sayoko with surprise after a moment.

"Um...yes..." Sayoko said embarrassingly.

...

"Hang out with Nunne!" Joseph proclaimed as he entered the student council room with Nunnally in tow, confusing the council there.

"...You mean, like, all of us?" Rivalz asked confused.

"Nope, just me and she. Quality time!" Joseph said as he wrapped his arm around Nunnally's shoulders.

"Oh, I would like that very much." Nunnally said excitedly, she hadn't had any alone time with Joseph at all since he came back.

"Ummmm, I don't know..." Lelouch said a bit apprehensively.

While he did trust his brother, he wasn't exactly a master of being incognito. If people see him, it could catch people's attention as to why specifically Nunnally.

"Come on, bro. Very conductible." Joseph reasoned happily as he gestured at himself.

"Responsible?" Lelouch deadpanned.

"That too." Joseph said with his dopey smile.

"Look, I just wonder-" Lelouch didn't get to finish his statement as he was interrupted by Joseph.

"Ah-dah-dah-dah-dah!" Joseph said as he lightly slapped Lelouch on the face back and forth, annoying him to no end. "Listen here. Mr. Protect-Sister-All-Time-Weirdo!" He exclaimed as he poked Lelouch in the chest, making the others, especially his sister, start to giggle at his expense, and aggravating Lelouch.

"Always _you _and Nunne time! Well, time for **_me _**and Nunne time! Older than you, word is law, can't stop me! Make self clear?!" Joseph emphasized as he repeatedly poked Lelouch on the chest, whose eye started to twitch.

_"Using the older sibling excuse on me when he probably doesn't even do **half **of what Cornelia says." _Lelouch thought with irritation.

"Besides, got girlfriend. Hang with her." Joseph said casually as he pointed to Shirley. Making everyone "Ooooooooo" at Lelouch and Shirley blush.

"It was one date!" Lelouch exclaimed with aggravation as he went red in the face.

"Don't worry, Lelouch. We'll keep out of trouble." Nunnally said as she grabbed Joseph's hand.

"Come on, Lulu. Let your sister make her own choices." Shirley said in a lecturing tone as she pinched Lelouch's arm. Making the council laugh.

"(Sighs) Alright, fine. Just be back before dinner." Lelouch said defeatedly.

"No prob, bob!" Joseph said with a thumbs up, and then suddenly lifting up Nunnally's wheelchair on his shoulder with her still in it, with an "Alley-oop!"

"J-Joe, what are you doing?!" Lelouch asked shocked.

"Uh, can't walk, needs chair, duuuhh." Joseph told his brother in an obvious tone.

"But why do you need to lift her with the chair?" Rivalz asked.

He got his answer as Joseph suddenly charged towards the window.

"TO ADVENT-UARE!" Joseph shouted enthusiastically.

"Uh, Joe?" Nunnally said nervously.

"Joseph, wait! Just use the-" Lelouch tried to warn Joseph.

Only for him to kick the window frame off and jump outside to near buildings, shouting out excitedly and Nunnally shouting out in surprise and confusion.

"...door." Lelouch said as he stood in shell-shock that he just witnessed his sister being carried off by his crazy brother to who knows where.

"And to think, I was finally able to replace all the glass that was shattered before." Milly said in an exhausted tone, not even surprised by Joseph's actions anymore.

"Well hey, at least he hasn't lost his optimism." Suzaku said with an awkward smile.

Lelouch didn't seem to listen as he ran his hand through his hair as he imagined the worst possible outcomes this "time together" will bring.

"Don't worry Lelouch, Joseph cares too much about Nunnally to let anything happen to her." Shirley said in reassurance as she rubbed his shoulders to calm him down.

"Yeah, we all know he's too stubborn to let anything hurt him. So essentially, he's the perfect body guard." Kallen said with a small smile _"...with the brain size of a pea unfortunately." _Kallen thought with a sweat drop.

She then noticed Nina had a determined look on her face and was looking straight at her.

"Um, something wrong, Nina?" Kallen asked meekly.

"Why Kallen, just why?" Nina asked sadly. Surprising Kallen and the council.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Kallen asked nervously, not liking where this was going.

"I thought you were just an innocent, sickly school girl. When in reality...you were playing for keeps this entire time!" Nina shouted accusingly as she pointed at a shocked and confused Kallen.

"I...what?!" Kallen asked, having no idea what this conversation was about now.

"You said that you didn't have any feelings for Joseph, but I saw the way you turned red when he hugged you!" Nina accused nervously but angrily. Kallen looked at her flabbergasted.

"I turned red because I couldn't breath! Nina, I'm telling you, there's no-" Kallen tried to explain but Nina wasn't having it.

"We may be friends Kallen, and I may be shy sometimes and often soft-spokened, but I refuse to be a fool! I don't consider myself to be a competitive person, but if it means winning the heart of my prince, then I shall give it my all!" Nina said in nervous determination.

"But I-"

"Don't think you'll be able to sway me away! From now on, I'll be paying more attention to you." Nina proclaimed as she gestured her eyes watching hers with her fingers.

She then picked up her laptop and marched out of the room with determination in her steps. The council looked on with surprise, they never seen Nina composed with such energy before. For Kallen it was shock, as she wasn't expecting things to go this way today.

"Well, well, Kallen. It seems you made yourself an arch-enemy." Milly said with a cheshire grin.

"Ba-ba-but...I...I don't, I'm not...she...!" Kallen sputtered her words, not sure how to explain the situation she got herself in.

"Was that how I acted when I thought you had feelings for Lelouch?" Shirley asked, now feeling bad she put Kallen through so much aggravation.

"Wait, what?!" Lelouch exclaimed, first time he heard this.

"Oops." Shirley said in awkward quietness, forgetting she never told Lelouch.

"UGH!" Kallen shouted as she left the room in embarrassment. _"Damn it, mom! This is why I hate Britannians!" _She thought in aggravation.

"An unexpected love triangle. I love it!" Milly cheered as she rubbed her hands together, thinking of a plan on how to move this forward, all with an evil grin on her face.

"I have a feeling it's going to be mayhem here in the next couple of weeks." Lelouch said tiredly.

"Yeah, but at least it'll be fun." Shirley said with joy. "I wonder if Joseph's aware of his crushes." Shirley said as she thought about it.

"Honestly, it's hard to tell what he's thinking half the time." Lelouch told her.

...

_Tokyo Settlement_

_"I wonder if I should have ate before I left."_

_"I wonder if Nunne ate."_

_"I bet her hearing is better since she can't see. Or is that just superstition?"_

_"I broke a mirror once, that's suppose to be 7 years bad luck. But so far, it's been pretty good since then."_

_"I saw a film called 'Mirrors', it was pretty terrible."_

_"People say that song 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' is terrible but it makes me happy."_

_"Jumping on buildings also makes me happy."_

_"And music."_

_"And ducks."_

_"Wait, what was I doing again?" _

Those were some of the several thoughts going through Joseph's head as he hopped from building to building with ease.

_"Oh yeah, finding a place for me and Nunne to __hang." _Joseph remembered.

He finally found a wide open rooftop and landed there. He put Nunnally down, who had very frazzled hair due to all the wind blowing in it.

"Oh my. When Lelouch told me he witnessed you jumping feets into the air onto different buildings, I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. But considering the constant blowing of wind in my face and the up and down sensations I felt, you have made a believer out of me." Nunnally said with nervous surprise in her voice as she brushed her hair with her fingers.

"Yeah. Super fun!" Joseph cheered with a fist pump in the air.

"It's definitely an experience." Nunnally said with a nervous chuckle. "Where are we anyway?" She asked.

"Top of a building." Joseph said casually as he scooped up Nunnally, who let out a surprised squeak, and put her down to sit on the edge, him right next to her.

"Good thing Lelouch isn't here, he might just have a heart attack if he knew where we were." Nunnally said with a giggle.

"So protective." Joseph said with a smirk. Nunnally couldn't help but sigh sadly.

"He always is." Nunnally said with sadness in her voice, Joseph noticed this.

"What up, little sis? Lelouch told of bad dream." Joseph asked as he patted her head, making her smile at him.

"Oh no, nothing like that. Lelouch helped me through that. It's strange now that you mentioned it, I know it was just a dream, but for some reason...it felt so real. Like you and I were actually there, wherever there was." Nunnally said in thought.

_"More real than you think, little sis." _Joseph thought to himself. Truthfully, he wanted to tell Nunnally about his time in a coma but Lelouch didn't want to involve her until he found some answers to this phenomenon. So for now, he would keep it to himself.

"Sorry to make you worry. I'm fine, it's just...can you promise to not tell Lelouch?" Nunnally asked in concern, Joseph let out a smile.

_"__Cross heart, hope to die..." _Joseph sang as he held out his good pinkie, learning it from Nunnally awhile back.

_"...Eat a thousand needles, if I lie." _Nunnally continued as she interlocked her pinkie with his.

_"Pinkie promise song!" _ They sang together as they shook their pinkies together, laughing together after.

"Anyway, Lelouch always puts so much attention on me. Not that I hate it, it's just that I fear sometimes he's not able to live a life of his own." Nunnally said sadly.

_"Oh Nunne, he's definitely living a life of his own."_ Joseph thought as he smirked.

"I just feel like...I'm a burden on him." Nunnally finished with a whisper as she gripped her motionless legs.

Joseph looked at her sadly, he had a feeling that was the case. When he watched Lelouch dote on Nunnally, he could see subtle sadness in her features, sort of like their father when he gave his speeches.

He had to make her feel better, it was his job as a big brother after all!

"Listen Nunne, no worry about Lelouch. Does things not with you all time!" Joseph said optimistically.

"Really?" Nunnally asked, not sure if that was meant to cheer her up.

"Yeah! Things that help people thrive! Loves it too!" Joseph said cheerfully. He knew he couldn't reveal Lelouch's identity as Zero, but no reason he couldn't give Nunnally a little leeway without spoiling anything.

"But, why wouldn't he say anything?" Nunnally asked in confusion.

"Not wanna hurt feelings. Worried about "no like spending time with" thinking." Joseph explained as he pointed to his own head.

"...I never thought about that. Perhaps me and Lelouch should talk about this when we get back." Nunnally said quietly.

"Besides, nothing wrong with attention. It proof." Joseph said happily.

"Proof of what?" Nunnally asked.

Only for her to be scooped up by Joseph in a bridal carry.

"Proof he be superhero! Beckon call, day or night! Be there always, no outta sight!" Joseph declared with pride as he puffed out his chest. Making Nunnally giggle.

"Same goes you!" Joseph proclaimed as he poked her on the nose.

"Me?" Nunnally asked, confused by the sudden proclamation.

"16 now! Make own decisions, be own person! Blind? Screw blind, Daredevil blind. Crippled? Screw crippled, Stephen Hawking crippled!" Joseph said with determination as he put her down in her chair.

"I thought his entire body was paralyzed because of ALS?" Nunnally said in confusion.

"Exactly! Now you gonna mope? Or roar?" Joseph asked her in anticipation.

"Roar?" Nunnally asked, now really confused.

"Roar! Raaah!" Joseph roared.

"Raaah?" Nunnally roared unsurely.

"Raaaah! Joseph roared again louder.

"Raaah!" Nunnally roared again with more energy.

"RAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"RAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

They both shouted to the heavens!

"Shut the Hell up!" A bystander shouted walking by.

"You shut up!" Joseph shouted back.

"J-Joe! Sorry sir!" Nunnally shouted while trying to hold back her giggles of the situation. "You always find the bright side to things, big brother Joe." She said sweetly.

"Big brother right? My job." Joseph said triumphantly.

"Too bad I wouldn't be able to see it, but a dance by you would really top this visit." Nunnally said happily

"Hmm...Lightbulb!" Joseph said after a moment of thinking.

...

_A couple of hours later..._

_Student Council Room_

"I really don't like how long they've been gone." Lelouch said with actual anxiousness in his voice.

"Come on Lelouch, I'm sure they're fine." Milly said in reassurance as she tried to keep her friend calm.

"In case you haven't realized by now Milly, Joseph is the literal textbook definition of 'unpredictable'." Lelouch said with unease.

"No argument there." Rivalz added.

"You're not helping, 'Riv-alz'." Kallen said annoyed, calling him by the same mispronunciation Joseph does. Making Rivalz groan.

"For all I know, he's taken Nunnally on some 'joyride' on top of a subway car!" Lelouch exclaimed with paranoia. He may be a chess champion and the leader of the fastest growing resistance groups, but controlling his brother was something else entirely.

"I don't think he would take it that far...maybe..." Suzaku said with hesitance, making Lelouch glare at him. "But I'm sure he would do everything in his power to keep her safe at the same time." Suzaku said quickly as he put his hands up in defense in case Lelouch tried to burn him alive with his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure they're on their way back right now." Shirley said as she rubbed his arm.

"HEADS UP!" Joseph yelled from outside as he threw the wheelchair from the window he broke earlier.

It landed on the table loudly, making the council jump back in surprise.

"Geez, man!" Rivalz shouted in shock.

"Sorry guys. I thought he was simply going to put it down." They heard Nunnally say awkwardly.

They then see Nunnally climbing through the window, with Joseph holding her on his shoulders.

"Nunnally?! Joe! What are on Earth!?" Lelouch asked, about to blow a casket.

"We not Joe and Nunnally!" Joseph proclaimed.

"We are, the Brother-Sister Mega Person." Nunnally proclaimed happily. The council looked at her in confusion. "That's the name he came up with." Nunnally explained.

"Nunnally, are you okay up there?" Lelouch asked worriedly.

"No worry, bro. Dead weight." Joseph reassured as he patted Nunnally's crippled legs.

"That's not what I meant." Lelouch muttered with gritted teeth, the twitch in his eye coming back.

"It's okay, brother. I'm fine, in fact, we have something to show you." Nunnally said excitedly. "Hit it!" She said as she pointed to Joseph below her.

Joseph pressed the play button on walkman and horns start playing. Joseph and Nunnally snapped their fingers together to the beat.

_Hit the road, Jack_

_And don't you come back_

_No more, no more, no more, no more_

_Hit the road, Jack_

_And don't you come back, no more_

Joseph moved along the beat with his legs, and Nunnally swayed her arms, both aligned with the beat. As if they were made of the same body. Joseph would lip-sync the male singer and Nunnally would lip-sync the female singer, and both looked like they were having the time of their lives.

Lelouch watched this in surprise at first, but then that surprise turned into a smile. His sister never looked so lively since she was a child, and his brother was able to bring that back.

The council looked on happily at the performance as well. However, a thought rang through Kallen's head as she watched the two.

_"He sure is attached to them...as if they really were brother and sister..." _Kallen thought to herself.

She also thought about what Suzaku said when they visited Joseph at the Viceroy's Palace.

_"Would it be possible you guys could keep them out of the conversation around the princesses?"_

Before she could think anymore about it, the music ended and Joseph put Nunnally back in her wheelchair. To which they then bowed to the applause given to them.

"Brava! Reminiscent of Tchaikovsky!" Milly cheered.

"And Sir-Mix-Alot!" Rivalz added. Making the group laugh.

"Thank you! We practiced that for awhile." Nunnally said happily, raising her hand in the air.

"Up top!" Joseph cheered as he high-fived her.

"It looks like you two had a lot of fun together." Lelouch said happily.

"We did! I'm glad I was able to spend time with Joseph." Nunnally said happily.

"Anytime!" Joseph cheered with a chill voice.

"Thank you, Joseph. That was the most fun I've seen Nunnally have in awhile." Lelouch said gratefully. "Just...next time you want to spend time with her, use the door, okay?" Lelouch asked tiredly.

"Bro, hear ya..." Joseph said with his dopey smile as he trailed off. Leaving the council in confusion, wondering if he was going to say anymore...which he didn't.

"So...you'll do that?" Lelouch asked after a moment.

"Hmmmm...don't know..." Joseph said in wonderment. "...Laters!" He then exclaimed in excitement as he kissed Nunnally on the head, who giggled, and ran his way out the window.

Leaving a very annoyed and perplexed Lelouch and a laughing council.

_"I know he saved my life, but God, do I want to strangle him sometimes." _Lelouch thought as he rubbed his face in aggravation.

"You know, in a weird way, I actually missed that absentmindedness of his." Shirley said happily.

"As long as you're not the target of it, it's quite hilarious to watch." Kallen said with a small smile.

"Especially when it makes Lelouch squirm." Milly teased, making the others laugh.

"Oh yeah, laugh up it now. Just you wait, he'll be driving you guys insane again soon enough." Lelouch warned with a glare.

"And we'll look forward to it with strive." Milly cheered. "For now, I'm going to see what I can do to make you look more presentable for his highness, next time." She said with a sly tone as she pointed at Kallen.

"WHA?! WHY?!" Kallen shrieked angrily.

"For the date you two will have." Milly said excitedly.

"WE DON'T HAVE A DATE!" Kallen shrieked in exasperation.

"Yet. Same goes for Nina. Just think, a double date!" Milly said with a toothy grin as she walked out the room.

"MILLY!" Kallen yelled as she ran after Milly, trying to stop her evil plan. Shirley couldn't help but chuckle.

"Times like these, I'm glad Milly is focusing her 'she-devil' attitude on someone other than me." Shirley said with relief.

"Don't expect it to last long, I'm sure she'll find ways to make all of us cringe till the end of time." Lelouch said with a tired smile.

"I find it nice that someone has feelings like that for Joseph." Nunnally said sweetly. "Do you think he would return them if Kallen were to proclaim hers to him?" She asked Lelouch curiously.

"I guess time will tell, Nunnally." Lelouch said with a smile.

When it came to Joseph, anything was possible.

_To be Continued..._

**And there we go. Joseph gets to spend time with Nunnally and Kallen gets forced into a love triangle she wants no part of. Does she truly have feelings for Joseph, would Joseph be able recognize such feelings? We shall find out later on. Until then, comment and tell me what you think.**


	23. Birthday!

_Pendragon - 2009_

_Arias Villa_

_Nunnally held Lelouch's hand as they made their way to their Aunt Rebecca. She now had a fair idea that she was passing away, Lelouch told her she was going to a place called Heaven, that it was a place good people go when their bodies can no longer handle being on Earth. _

_Joseph was currently with Cornelia and Euphemia and they were both on a quest to find a mean doctor with a cane, Cornelia tried to explain he was just a tv character but Joseph argued he was based off a real person. _

_"Are you sure you're okay to do this, Nunnally?" Marianne asked her in a concerned tone._

_"Yes, Mommy. I wanna make sure I wish Aunt Becky a fun time in Heaven!" Nunnally said in childlike happiness._

_Lelouch smiled at his sister's innocence. Marianne knocked on the door._

_"Yes?" Rebecca asked through the door._

_"Becky, dear. It's us, Lelouch and Nunnally just wanted to talk to you." Marianne said softly._

_"Of course, come in." Rebecca said with quiet happiness._

_As soon as Marianne opened the door, Nunnally rushed in, hoping to give her aunt a hug. _

_But stopped short. For her, Aunt Rebecca wasn't in the room. _

_Instead, it was this...person. This pale, super skinny, bald person sitting on the bed with a small smile on their face, looking at her._

_"Hey, Nunne." The person quietly said, revealing to be female._

_Honestly, it was frightening for Nunnally. Her mom told her she was seeing Aunt Becky, this wasn't Aunt Becky, who was this woman?!_

_"Mommy...I want to see Auntie Becky..." Nunnally said in small, scared tone as she slowly backed away from the woman._

_Marianne looked at her sadly and Lelouch looked at her with confusion._

_"Nunnally, that is Aunt Becky." Lelouch told her quietly._

_"No, no it's not. Why are you saying that, Lelouch?" Nunnally asked scared and confused, tears gathering in her eyes. "I want to see Auntie Becky, mommy! Please take me to Auntie Becky, please!" Nunnally said in sobs as she clutched her mother, scared tears running down her eyes._

_"Shhhh...it's okay, it's alright." Marianne soothed her daughter as she picked her up and held her in her arms. Lelouch looked on sadly. "I'm sorry, Becky..." Marianne said to Rebecca apologetically._

_"It's okay, Mary. It's hard for anyone her age." Rebecca said with a sad smile._

_Marianne nodded as she left the room with a crying Nunnally. Lelouch stayed behind, not sure if he should stay with Rebecca or or make sure his crying sister was okay._

_"It's okay, Lelouch. Nunne needs you right now." Rebecca said with understanding in her voice and a small smile. Lelouch nodded._

_"Thank you Aunt Rebecca. I'm sure it'll be better next time." Lelouch said with reassurance._

_"Absolutely..." Rebecca said with sad eyes._

_They never got another chance after that._

...

_Viceroy Palace_

Today, Joseph woke up early.

Why? Because **today **was a special day.

A day that Joseph always made sure to keep track of. And considering he didn't keep track of too many things, this was important.

Today was his mother's birthday!

And he always made sure to get up bright and early for this day. Even better that he now had his family and new friends to celebrate it with!

So the first thing he did was go into Euphemia room to wake her up. He quietly opened the door and tiptoed to her bed.

"Hey, Eup, wake up. Wake up, Eup." Joseph said in quiet excitement as he gently shook her awake.

"Mmmmm...Joe? What time is it?" Euphemia said groggily as she slowly woke up.

"5am. Come on, celebrate time." Joseph said excitedly.

"Celebrate? Celebrate what?" Euphemia asked with quiet confusion as she rubbed her eyes.

"Mom's birthday. Duh." Joseph said as if it was obvious.

That seemed to perk Euphemia up.

"Aunt Rebecca's birthday is today?" Euphemia asked in surprise.

"Yep-yep. March 18th, clockwork. Now come on! Gotta get Corn!" Joseph said with enthusiasm as he pulled her out of bed and raced out of the room.

"J-Joe, don't you think it's a bit early to do this?" Euphemia asked, exasperated.

"Nope!" Joseph said happily.

...

Ever since Joseph got out of his coma, Cornelia had actually been sleeping a lot better recent days. It felt like a load off her shoulders, and she welcomed it.

What she didn't welcome was her brother suddenly kicking her bedroom doors open and jumping onto her.

"CORN!" He yelled excitedly.

"Joseph! What the Hell are you doing?!" Cornelia asked, pissed that her sleep was ruined.

"Mom's birthday! Come on, up time!" Joseph cheered as he shook her back and forth.

"Birthday? Oh, that's right. March 18th." Cornelia said in remembrance.

"Exactly. Now up, up, up!" Joseph said in determination as he shoved Cornelia out of her bed.

"This couldn't be done at a later time?" Cornelia asked in annoyance.

"Never early for mom! Now to living room!" Joseph cheered as he ran out of the room.

"I almost wish he was in a coma again." Cornelia muttered in annoyance.

"Oh, sister." Euphemia said unamused.

"I said 'almost'." Cornelia reassured.

...

The Li sisters waited in the living room, still in their pajamas and still trying to wake themselves up.

"Ugh, and to think I actually didn't have to start my duties early today." Cornelia muttered as she sipped on some coffee.

"Come on, Cornelia. We both how much this day means to Joseph, especially now that Aunt Rebecca has passed. I say we indulge him in anyway we can." Euphemia happily offered.

"(Sighs) I suppose you're right." Cornelia said begrudgingly.

Joseph then came through the doors holding a box of some sorts.

"What's that?" Euphemia asked curiously.

"A butsudan." Joseph said happily.

"A what?" Cornelia asked.

"But-su-daaaannnnn!" Joseph enunciated. "Japanese memorial box." He explained excitedly as he put the box down on the table in front of them.

"Oh, how sweet." Euphemia said kindly.

"Why just an Eleven relic for such matters?" Cornelia asked with a bit of scrutiny in her voice.

"In Japan, use Japan traditions." Joseph explained with an obvious tone.

He opened the box, revealing a shrine made out knick knacks dedicated to his mother. One shelfs had tapes she acquired from years ago that Joseph kept on his person, another was painted green and had a stuffed turtle on it due to Rebecca's love of turtles. In the center was the photo of Rebecca holding a baby Joseph, with a burner holder and an incense stick below.

"Oh Joe, it's beautiful." Euphemia said sweetly. "Where did you get it?" She asked.

"Not get, made last night." Joseph said simply, surprising his sisters that he made this in just one night. He took out a mug from his coat and placed it next to the incense sticks. "Happy birthday, Mom. Here favorite drink." He said happily as he took the pot that Cornelia brought with her and filled up the mug. Euphemia looked on fondly while Cornelia just rolled her eyes, wondering why he indulged himself in such ridiculous ways.

He then took two rocks and rubbed them together to create a spark and light the incense.

"Why didn't you just use matches?" Cornelia asked, curious why he went through the trouble of using an older technique.

"Cause have rocks. Duuhh." Joseph said as if it was obvious, making Cornelia deadpan at him. "Now come pay respects." He practically ordered his sisters as he kneeled down in front of the butsudan and held his palms together in prayer.

"Are you kidd-" Cornelia tried to protest but Euphemia was already pulling her towards the ground and had her kneel besides Joseph in prayer. Cornelia sighed in defeat and went along with what she considered a fiasco.

After that, Joseph took his sisters to dining room and served them Rebecca's favorite breakfast, which was was foot-size omelets with three different types of cheeses on it. The chefs would later see the gigantic mess made in the kitchen.

Then they shared stories about Rebecca, Joseph had plenty so he let his sisters go first. Cornelia remembered when Carine's mother insulted her for joining the military at such a young age, that she hoped she get her "loins properly disciplined" by the men there so she learn how to be a proper lady. In return, when Carine's mother had to use the toilet, she found her bum superglued to the seat, courtesy of Rebecca. It took eight hours that day to get herself detached from the seat.

Euphemia remembered how Rebecca used to babysit her whenever Cornelia was training or her mother simply didn't have time for her. While Cornelia taught her how to be a proper lady, Rebecca definitely gave her mischievous side, especially when it came to participating in pranks with Joseph, to her sister's utter dismay.

By midday, Joseph brought out a red velvet cake and gave his sisters each a slice.

"Mmmm. The cake's delicious, Joe." Euphemia complimented, also happy to give cravings to her sweet tooth. She tried to take another slice but was quickly stopped by Joseph.

"Ah, ah, ah! Just one! Rest for friends." Joseph ordered, making Euphemia pout.

"Try not to come back too late. I plan on serving fried chicken and lumpia tonight, as much as I hate how messy that food is, I know it was your mother's favorite meal." Cornelia said with a smile.

Joseph responded with a kiss on the cheek and calling her "Best Big Sis ever!" Making her chuckle.

He then grabbed the cake, the Butsudan, and jumped out the window.

"Remember how he used to just use the door all the time...I miss those days." Cornelia said tiredly, making Euphemia giggle.

...

_Airport_

"Are you sure you want me to be the messenger?" C.C. asked, currently with glasses and a dark brown wig on, as well as a business suit. They both made sure not to look at each other.

"If you look humble, they'll look down on you. That's how it works with the Chinese Federation." Lelouch advised.

"I don't know about that, but unlike you, I do have some humility." C.C. assured him.

"Good, now you can put it to use. How's your passport?" Lelouch asked, wanting to make sure everything was squared away.

"Not a bad forgery. I'm all set." C.C. told him.

"Okay then, I have to get to school now. Update me when you can." Lelouch told her as he left.

"Yes, yes." C.C. told him with a bored tone.

...

_Ashford Academy_

Lelouch was walking his way up to the school when he heard Suzaku call after him.

"Hey! Lelouch!" Suzaku said as he ran towards him.

Lelouch couldn't help but look at him sadly as he thought about a distance memory.

...

(Flashback)

_Japan_

_7 years ago..._

_A 10 year old Lelouch was carrying an eight year old Nunnally on his back while a 10 year old Suzaku walked slowly behind them._

_"Where are we going? Are we getting moved to another place again?" Nunnally asked innocently._

_"It's one of the Kururugi's homes. __This time, it's the main house, okay?" Lelouch told her reassuringly, he noticed Suzaku __looking at the multiple dead bodies around them. They ranged from men, women, children, and even babies, it was a disturbing sight to say the least. But Lelouch knew they couldn't afford to be distracted right now.__ "__Keep on walking, Suzaku." He told him._

_"But…" Suzaku tried to say._

_"Keep walking." Lelouch insisted._

_"Where are we? It smells really bad here…" Nunnally asked with __unknowing-ness._

_"We're going by a garbage dump. Right, Suzaku?" Lelouch told her to keep her calm, but then noticed Suzaku had stopped walking. _

_"What's wrong, Suzaku?" Nunnally asked, wondering why Suzaku was so quiet._

_"I…I…" Suzaku said quietly, trying to overcome the sadness he was feeling. Only to feel a small hand caress his cheek. He looked up and saw who it belonged to. "__Nunnally…"_

_"My mother taught me that a warm touch is good for tears. __Do you think it's true?" Nunnally asked sweetly._

(Flashback End)

_..._

_"Suzaku...I swear to you, I will help you overcome this." _Lelouch thought to himself in determination. However, Suzaku couldn't help but notice he was just staring at him.

"What's up? You know, they're gonna hold you back if you don't start coming to class." Suzaku told him worriedly.

"I could say the same about you, right?" Lelouch teased.

"Hey! I have work to do. It's just that the Black Knights have really been on the move lately." Suzaku said.

"Still, how about dropping by for dinner more often? Nunnally misses you. Are you free this evening?" Lelouch offered with a smile.

"Yeah, I could come tonight. But are you sure it's okay? I don't want to cause any–" Suzaku didn't get to finish as Rivalz suddenly swerved his motorcycle in their direction.

"Hey, Lelouch!" Rivalz said frantically.

"What's wrong?" Lelouch asked casually, already knowing what Rivalz's problem was.

"I hear that the president's blind date is today!" Rivalz shrieked.

"Uh, yeah, today." Lelouch said casually.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT IT!" Rivalz asked in frantic furiousness.

"Because it'd make you cry." Lelouch said simply.

"Boys don't cry!" Rivalz complained.

"It's okay. I didn't know about it either." Suzaku offered sympathetically

"Don't give me your emo routine!" Rivalz said angrily.

"Emo?" Suzaku asked with surprised confusion.

"I guess compassion is not in fashion these days." Lelouch said with a chuckle. "So anyways, are we on for..." Lelouch didn't finish his question as he soon heard the sound of a guitar riff.

"Hey, it's Prince Joseph!" A student yelled.

And indeed it was, he walking towards his Lelouch, Suzaku, and Rivalz as he had his walkman playing in loud volume.

_You gotta get up in the morning take your heavy load_

_And you gotta keep goin' down the long black road_

He also appeared to be holding a large black case in his hand with a cake in his other. Students started to gather around him excitedly.

"Your highness, it's great to see you!" A female said as she waved at him.

"Hey, 'Eat That Horse!'" A male student cheered. Lelouch rolled his eyes at that.

"You think they actually like him, or are they just being nice?" Rivalz whispered to Lelouch in curiosity.

"Both." Lelouch said simply, while most the students here were probably being welcoming on the fact that he was prince, there probably were a few that genuinely loved the type of personality he had.

Moat likely the ones who always brought up "Eat that Horse!"

Joseph greeted back the students with a smile and laugh, but they weren't his priority, celebration time was. He walked up to his brother and friends.

"Hey! There my boy toys!" Joseph cheered with a southern accent.

"Ugh. That's not how that expression is supposed to be used..." Lelouch said weakly.

"Hey, Joe. Is that a butsudan?" Suzaku asked curiously.

"A what-su-dan?" Rivalz asked, forgetting about his own problems momentarily.

"It's a box made for Japanese rituals when you want to memorialize your loved ones." Suzaku explained.

"Yep! Mom's birthday today! In Japan, Japan traditions!" Joseph cheered.

"Birthday?" Lelouch asked in surprise. "That's right, she would have been 45 years old this year." He said in realization.

"Damn straight. Come on, all friends celebrate together!" Joseph encouraged as he gestured towards the student council building.

"But we have school." Suzaku said, surprised by the sudden declaration.

"And Milly is on a date with a suitor." Lelouch told him.

"Ah! Don't remind me!" Rivalz shrieked as he put his hands over his ears.

"Pffft! School, schmule! Educate anytime, birthday only once!" Joseph declared.

"...Don't you mean once every year?" Lelouch asked after a moment.

"Exactly! And Milly celebrate later! Now come on! Rivalz, get others! Us to Nunnally!" Joseph ordered as he marched towards the building.

"Um, okay?" Rivalz said, not expecting his day to go in this direction.

"I guess we don't have a choice, do we?" Suzaku asked with a knowing smile.

"Nope, out of all days, this is definitely the most important for Joseph." Lelouch said with genuine happiness as they followed Joseph.

...

_ASEEC _

"Are you surprised?" Lloyd asked, not even paying attention to Milly as he was typing away at his computer

"Uh…" Was all Milly could think of saying, as she wasn't expecting her date to be in a knightmare hangar. She was starting to wonder if she should have even dressed up for the occasion.

"Matchmaking dates are usually in hotels or restaurants." Lloyd pointed out, still looking at his computer.

"I–I suppose that's true, but I'd heard you were very unique person, Lord Asplund." Milly said nervously.

"Unique! What a delightfully artful way to put it!" Lloyd said with a chuckle, finally turning to look at Milly.

"And Joseph had plenty of nice things to say about you as well." Milly added.

"Oh yes, that's right. You're one of the friends his highness visits at that school you attend. You told him about our little get-together?" Lloyd asked curiously

"No, he just talks sometimes about coming here and how you build 'cool, giant robots.'" Milly said with a chuckle.

"Well it is a gift." Lloyd said proudly as he went back to typing, not caring that the information was technically suppose to be confidential.

"I'm surprised you're interested in a girl from the downgraded Ashford family after it lost its rank." Milly said curiously.

"Normally _I_ would be surprised your parents wouldn't just try to use Prince Joseph to gain back their rank, but they probably don't want to be known for associating with someone of his mental status." Lloyd said politely, as he went back typing. Milly narrowed her eyes at that. "Not trying to insult the man, just making an observation. I myself couldn't care less about a loss of rank." He explained, surprising Milly.

"Excuse me." Cecile said politely as she came by with some tea.

"I'm sorry to trouble you." Milly said in equal politeness.

"Not at all. Take your time." Cecile said in understanding.

"No need for that. Why draw it out? Let's get married." Lloyd said casually.

"Huh?! That's it?!" Milly said in shock, not expecting the conversation to go like this at all!

"Getting cold feet? Lloyd asked with a smirk.

...

_Student Council Building_

Nunnally was in the meeting room, playing with her origami birds, when she heard familiar footsteps approach.

"Lelouch, you know you shouldn't keep skipping class." Nunnally lectured with a pout.

"Not my choice this time, Nunnally." Lelouch said with a chuckle.

"Hey, Nunne!" Joseph said happily as he went over and kissed Nunnally on the cheek.

"Joe? What brings you here?" Nunnally said surprised but happy that her brother was here.

"Mom's birthday! Duh!" Joseph exclaimed as he put down the cake and butsudan. "Only one keeping track?" Joseph asked, a bit annoyed that he had to remind his siblings what day it was.

Nunnally gasped in surprise.

"...I didn't realize it was today..." Nunnally said after a moment. Joseph saw this and regretted being annoyed.

"Hey, no prob! Know now!" Joseph reassured with excitement.

It was then the rest of the student council(minus Milly) came in.

"A butsudan?" Kallen asked.

"Yep! Celebration done right." Joseph told her happily.

"Did you make it?" Nunnally asked as she felt the box with her hands.

"Yep-per-rooni. Good ole' hands." Joseph said cheerfully as he showed off the splinter scars he got while making the butsudan last night.

Nina approached Joseph nervously with a homemade card in her hands.

"Um Joseph...I made this card for your mother. I hope it's okay." Nina said shyly.

"Awww. Love it!" Joseph said excitedly as he pulled Nina into a tight hug, making her face go mad with redness. Thankfully she was able to keep her lower region dry this time.

He took the card and put it on the top shelf, next to the photo of Rebecca.

"Mom, meet friends!" Joseph said excitedly as he gestured to the student council, he tugged Suzaku over and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Remember Suzaku? Training buddy!" He said happily as he gestured to Suzaku.

"Um, hello Lady Rebecca, it's been awhile." Suzaku said with a small smile.

And before he could say anymore, Joseph quickly pushed him away and grabbed Shirley next.

"Shirley. New sis!" Joseph introduced. "Lelouch's girlfriend." He whispered to the photo. Making the others laugh and Shirley and Lelouch blush.

"We're not there yet! It's just been one date, Ms. Rebecca." Shirley said awkwardly.

"Ri-valz!" Joseph exclaimed as he pulled Rivalz in and scurried Shirley along.

"It's pronounce 'Rivalz' actually, your highness. But I let him call me Ri-valz." Rivalz said cheerfully

"They know they're talking to a photo right?" Kallen whispered to Lelouch while Joseph introduced Nina to his mother and she starts complimenting her hair and dress in the photo.

"Better than talking to nothing at all." Lelouch argued.

Before she could reply, Joseph quickly pulls her over.

"Kallen! Best bud!" He exclaimed as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"J-Joe!" Kallen said awkwardly, already blushing, causing Nina to glare at her. "Happy Birthday, Lady Rebecca." She said politely, giving a formal Japanese bow.

"Alright! Time for cake!" Joseph declared as he went to find something sharp to cut his cake.

...

_Ohgi's Apartment_

Chigusa heard the door open and saw it was Ohgi.

"Welcome back." Chigusa said happily.

"Oh, uh, h-hi." Ohgi said in surprise.

"Good timing. The meal's almost ready." Chigusa told him as she gestured to the food she was preparing.

"Meal? You mean…did you go out shopping somewhere?" Ohgi asked, afraid someone saw her.

"No, I just used what you had around. Some people here are afraid of Britannians, so…" Chigusa trailed off, Ohgi knowing what she implied.

Ohgi went into the other room and opened up his laptop to look at the security cameras he set up in his house. Going over the footage to see if anything interesting popped up.

"Have you been able to remember anything yet?" Ohgi asked.

"Sorry, nothing at all yet…" Chigusa said sadly.

"That's okay. Don't push it. You're still healing. It's all right if it takes time to remember." Ohgi reassured as he went back into the room.

"Okay, it's ready. I sure hope you like it!" Chigusa said happily as she put the meal on the table.

"S-Sure." Ohgi said, couldn't help but smile.

...

_Viceroy Palace_

_Garden_

Cornelia and Euphemia are relaxing in Clovis' garden, with Cornelia's head in Euphemia's lap.

"It's been a while since we could spend alone time like this. There've been so many unexpected events since we came here, our brother being one of them." Cornelia said in a relaxed tone, she then stuck her arms and tickled Euphemia in the gut, making her laugh. "All of that desk work…it's making you fat." She joked.

"Hey, cut it out! That's not funny!" Euphemia said while laughing, which made Cornelia laugh too. "Cornelia, don't you think this garden looks familiar? It's like Lady Marianne's." She commented.

"Now that you mention it." Cornelia said in realization.

"I heard Clovis ordered them to build it like this." Euphemia said quietly.

"I'm surprised he liked her villa that much since he was always fighting with her son, Lelouch, there." Cornelia said nostalgically.

"He must have thought of Lelouch as his rival." Euphemia mentioned.

"Even though Lelouch was younger?" Cornelia asked quizzically

"Well, he kept paintings of Lelouch and the others. We've found them after he was killed." Euphemia said.

"I see…" Cornelia said quietly, thinking about her younger siblings from the villa "We need to stabilize this area and capture Zero fast…to avenge Clovis, as well as Lelouch and Nunnally. This land has taken the lives of three of our siblings. It's soaked in our family's blood." She said in a sullen voice, Euphemia looked at her sadly.

"It gave us back Joseph, at least." Euphemia argued

"After the world chewed him up. Area 11 just happen to spit him out." Cornelia said bitterly. Euphemia could only sigh.

...

_Student Council Building_

After a couple hours of eating cake and dancing to Rebecca's favorite tunes, Milly came back from her date. Rivalz tried to get details out of her but she remained tight lipped, thankfully for her, Joseph stirred the subject away and kept it focused on Rebecca's birthday. They shared stories about encounters with her until Suzaku had to leave for military duties.

However, Lelouch couldn't help but notice that Nunnally stayed rather quiet the whole time during the party. He was about to see what was up until Joseph gathered everyone's attention.

"And now, speech!" Joseph declared as he took out a piece of paper for a speech he wrote. "Happy Birthday mom! 45 today! Halfway to 90! Your day, great day, special day! Wonderful mom and person! Loved movies, music, turtles and cartoons! Loved especially me, Lelouch, Nunne, Eup, Corn! Took no shit, treated..." He stopped his speech when he started to hear the sound of crying coming from Nunnally.

"Nunnally? What's wrong?" Lelouch asked worriedly immediately came by her side, as did Joseph.

"I was horrible to her..." Nunnally said through her tears.

"Who? Aunt Rebecca? No! You loved her tremendously." Lelouch tried to reason with her, hating his sister upset.

"Then why couldn't I see her when she was dying?!" She asked frantically. "Why couldn't I just put up the courage to tell her goodbye instead of convincing myself that the woman laying in that bed was a monster pretending to be her?" She asked sadly.

"It was because of me that you missed your chance to say goodbye to her Lelouch...and I ended our relationship on a horrible note because how much I hurt her feelings that day...she was so kind and gentle with us, and I returned it with fear..." Nunnally said in anguish as she finally broke down in a sob.

"Oh Nunnally..." Lelouch said sympathetically as he brought his sister into an embrace. The rest of the council looked on sympathetically as well, wishing they knew what to say to cheer her up.

"Hey, hey...none of that." Joseph said softly as he came over and ruffled her hair. "Mom loved with all heart. Both of you. Knew she scary looking. Said like Gollum himself!" He said reassuringly in strive to both his siblings, making them laugh.

"That would be something she would say." Lelouch said in agreement.

"Just little kid, Nunne. She knew that, no hurt heart." Joseph said positively, Nunnally thought about this.

"I just wish I could have properly told her goodbye." Nunnally said quietly.

"So do so." Joseph said simply as he brought over the photo of Rebecca and put it in Nunnally's hands.

Though Nunnally couldn't see it, she could feel from the texture from how old it was that it was the same photo Joseph kept of Rebecca over the years.

"Goodbye Aunt Becky. You were one of the nicest people I had ever known, you always took good care of us when mom wasn't around and you always made me laugh. I'm sorry that I didn't say any of this when you were still alive, but I hope you can still hear it." Nunnally said quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Joseph has been a great big brother too. Making sure we remember your birthday and everything, you would be very proud of him. Anyway, Happy Birthday!" Nunnally finished happily as she kissed the picture.

"And we hope where ever you are, you're with our mother. We love you Aunt Rebecca, Happy Birthday." Lelouch added with a smile.

"There we go. Now no moping, only roaring." Joseph said as he put his forehead against Nunnally's. "Okay?" He asked.

"Okay." Nunnally said with a giggle.

"Raaah!" Joseph roared.

"Raaah!" Nunnally roared back.

This made the council laugh, and yet, Kallen couldn't help but look at the three in wonder.

"Toast to both mothers! Rest in Peace!" Joseph cheered as he raised his walkman in the air.

"Rest in Peace!" The council cheered.

"Alright! More tunes!" Joseph cheered as he push play on his walkman.

...

_Hospital_

"The test results came out fine, though you seem to pay extreme attention to discipline and to weighing the value of human life." The doctor concluded as she looked at the results of Suzaku's medical checkup.

"Is that going to cause problems?" Suzaku asked, a bit worried he wasn't going to be able to serve.

"These are the positive traits for a soldier. Do you think subconsciously you are comparing yourself to your father?" The doctor asked Suzaku, surprising him. "That may be the underlying cause of your insecurity. It's quite common in the children of famous people. Your father Genbu Kururugi, the former prime minister of Japan. He was a great man."

...

_Gravesite_

Tohdoh, Chiba, and Asahina stood before the memorial of Genbu Kururugi.

"Urabe and others are late." Chiba commented.

"Well this sure is an ironic meeting place, isn't it? The grave of Prime Minister Kururugi?" Asahina said in a mood.

"The traitor who told us to fight to the end, then commit suicide himself." Chiba said with a sneer. This brought Suzaku to Tohdoh's mind.

"Enough! General Katase also committed suicide and he was a true patriot." Tohdoh commanded.

What none of them realized was the group of Britannian soldiers watching from a distance.

_"Fugitive Tohdoh, identified. All unit, prepared to move in." _The commander of the soldiers said.

"Yes, my Lord." A soldier said.

_To Be Continued._

...

**So pretty short chapter there again, wanted to flex the relationship between Joseph and Nunnally some more, also to hint at the fact that Kallen is starting to put two and two together about some things. Next time, we'll be getting back into full on canon with the rescue of Joseph's sensei: Tohdoh, and oh man do I have a doozy in mind for that! Anyway, I also made a thumbnail of an amateur drawing of what Joseph looks like, not professional I know, but at least it gives you an idea, the photo suppose to be black white with just his pants and eyes being in color. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, tell me what you think.**

**BTW, sorry if got the traditions of the butsudans wrong, I'm not too familiar with it.**


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